Movie Review: Dark Sky Films’ Reunion - Slow Burn Cerebral Experience

Genre: Horror

Director: Jake Mahaffy

Reunion - movie poster - Julia Ormond - Dark Sky Films

Cast: Julia Ormond, Emma Draper, and John Bach

Studio: Dark Sky Films

Runtime: 94 minutes

Release Date: Friday, February 5, 2021 – Available now on VOD

Rated: Not Rated

Reviewer’s Rating ★★★★★

Written and directed by Jake Mahaffy, Reunion introduces us to pregnant Elle (Emma Draper) as she returns to her childhood home. She hopes to find time to finish her book, a study on witchcraft and black magic, but she also wants to rekindle the relationship with her mother Ivy (Julia Ormond) which has been strained over the last several years. As Elle spends more and more time in her familial home, long repressed memories begin to surface, and she comes to the realization that something more sinister happened.

Reunion is a type of horror film that isn’t for everyone. The film takes its time spending a majority of the 94 minutes trying to get inside Elle’s head. For the impatient viewer, they might walk away midway wishing for non-stop jump-scares and gore. But for those wanting a cerebral experience, Reunion is a rewarding psychological character study that will disturb and unnerve you.

The acting here is top-notch, and Ormond and Draper are on fire. The two of them work off each other brilliantly making the conversations and arguments they have feel realistically portrayed; it made me fidget in my seat due to how uncomfortable it got. Draper easily makes us care for her character; the physicality and vulnerability she brings to the role leads to a memorable performance. Even John Bach, who plays Elle’s father Jack, has a commendable performance despite spending most of the role in a wheelchair with barely any dialogue. His body language and forlorn look on his face often cause you to feel unsettled over what secrets he may harbor.

Mahaffy makes excellent use of the single location as the house often feels like an additional character. The way it creaks and moans as characters move through it, or when the silence is broken up by the drone of a grandfather clock ticking away makes it feel like the house is a witness to traumatic events that have taken place here. The cinematography works well with the set and sound design as the camera acts like an omnipresent being watching over everything. The way the camera glides through panning in slow and steady really showcases Mahaffy’s ability to build tension on a smaller scale.

Most of that tension comes from our two leads. Reunion is very much a character-driven film with a slow burn akin to movies like Hereditary or Rosemary’s Baby where most of the fright comes from how the protagonist is treated. Throughout the film, Ivy is a wildcard on how she acts around Elle. In some scenes she’s overbearing but seems loving; then in another scene, she’s harsh, gaslighting Elle to make her believe she’s the blame for something. It leads to a constant sense of dread in every conversation.

There are some more traditional frights. Things going bump in the night, a creepy VHS tape, and doors opening by themselves. While these can sometimes be unsettling, I didn’t find them as effective as the psychological themes at play. Reunion deals with trauma, repressed memories, and perception that constantly toys with the audience’s expectation of certain events. I found the constant uncertainty of Elle’s mental state, reinforced by nightmares and flashbacks to her childhood, to be more unnerving than the explicitly spooky stuff. That’s not to say they’re not creepy. There’s a surprising amount of disturbing images that go into the realm of body horror as Elle’s frightening visions of possible deformities her child could have which genuinely shocked me and made me cringe.

While I enjoyed Mahaffy’s screenplay, it can feel a bit rough around the edges. The dialogue in the beginning consists of a lot of explaining to set up why Elle is coming back to her family house and why Ivy is moving everything. The way it’s written doesn’t feel like two people talking rather it’s more like them explaining to the audience the background. However, the ending is sure to come under scrutiny from some. For the most part, I really like the finale because it’s explosive and cathartic after the constant build of suspense. Despite enjoying it, I’m still unsure of what it all means. It draws on several tiny details shown throughout Reunion that rewards attentive viewing, yet it still gets a bit muddled due to the execution. It could play better on a second watch, but I could see people being totally turned off by the ending.

Reunion is still a surprisingly effective little horror film that I hope gains more attention through word of mouth. It’s one I’m excited about checking out again and, if you like horror, one you should definitely watch.

Watch REUNION – Official Trailer

For more on this film visit:
Website: https://darkskyfilms.com/film/reunion/

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9741526/

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Dustin Kogler

Professional amateur movie watcher. Dustin is a laid-back nerd who loves discussing pop culture. He loves listening to 80s music, playing video games and watching netflix all day. He's pretty sarcastic and if you tell him your favorite movie he can tell you why you're wrong.