A Future Horror Classic

Rating: 9/10 (9 April 2019)

A slow-burning horror that focuses on real-world themes such as family, guilt and grief. Pretty much every technical aspect of this film is flawless and unique, which creates an unbearably unsettling atmosphere for the entire duration of the film, it's deliberate pacing gives us time to delve deep into the psyche's of the characters, often to harrowing result, making us truly care about what's going on when things get spooky later on. Performances are round-the-board superb, of course plenty has already been said about Toni Collette's Oscar-worthy, yet criminally snubbed, turn as Annie.
As for negatives, some of the teen's dialogue feels very trite and generic, which is odd considering how excellent it is everywhere else. I also feel like the film could do with tightening up just a tad around the second act, where I think things slow down just a tiny bit too much which temporarily takes away from the unbearable tension. The film can sometimes lay on the misery a bit thick to the point of it being borderline funny at points and I'm not sure if this was intentional or not. However, the finale, without spoilers, is so out of left field that it largely puts this issue into a different perspective and as such fixes it.
All in all, a superb horror film that I believe will go down as a horror classic. My favourite from recent years and easily the most scared I've been in the cinema in a very long time. The standard movie-goer who likes their horror full of jump scares, predictable and easy to digest will likely be left confused and underwhelmed by this film, but for the true horror fan who can appreciate writing, character, technicality and atmosphere, this is sure to go down a treat.