FINALLY... a modern horror film that understands what makes a great horror film...

Rating: 9/10 (19 April 2015)

I thought this movie was BRILLIANT... one of the better horror films that I've seen in many a year... tense, gripping with outstanding visuals and an excellent, original, layered story which can be enjoyed on multiple levels (literally and symbolically)... What's more, the performances of the two leads were amazing... this, IMO, gets back to what truly makes an excellent horror film and makes it truly creepy, scary and intense... our reaction is driven by the setting, the atmosphere, the images, the music, the subtle sounds and, most of all, the performances... Essie Davis is incredible and she handles an extremely complex role very well and you feel her frustration and terror... Finally, the film never resorts to what I believe is the bane of horror in the last 20 years: never does it use cheap jump scares (and, in the hand of a lesser director, there would have been 30+ opportunities to do so)... As a result, the scary moments aren't just a quick punch to the stomach which you shrug off in a few seconds but, instead, they linger in your brain and under your skin for well after the film is over... again, absolutely loved it and I hope we can see more films that are like this because they are few and far between these days... My rating: 9 out of 10