Beautifully-filmed horror with a musical score that pulsates with intensity

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2018)

Beautifully filmed and realized, credit should be given to the musical score for staying out the way when needed and bringing the thrills at the most opportune times. Today's accompanying music is usually too loud, not particularly matching what is going on the screen and just plain bad. This is the exception. The score almost makes the movie.
That's not to say the rest is not almost equally as fine. The pace may be slow but percolates with tension. The director is adept at showing us just what we need to see and hinting at more to come.
It's not all perfect, however: the son, who is supposed to be a young teen but looks closer to 40, elicited embarrassed laughter from the theatre audience on at least two of the most intense scenes when his crying is so fake you have to snicker. Likewise, Toni Collette does a wonderful job here but her accelerating hysteria begins to take away some of the power of her performance. The ending is somewhat anticlimactic and doesn't match the intensity of the rest of the movie.
But that's griping. This is a horror movie that avoids most clichés while giving us thrills, chills and plenty to talk about afterwards.