Seance movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Seance

This thriller premieres at Newport Beach Film Festival.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 25 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

“It was a dark and stormy night.” Those are the famous words from novels and this film. This story takes place in 1892 in California. A Victorian woman contemplates adultery when she takes refuge from a storm at the home of her first husband and his unstable wife, who claims to be haunted by their dead child.

The film was both written and directed by Vivian Kerr, who also stars in it!

Already, the film has won the “ReFrame Stamp” for 2024, which is an award for film and TV productions that demonstrate gender-balanced hiring.

THINGS I LIKED:

The cast is very good and includes Scottie Thompson, Connor Paolo, Jilon VanOver, and Vivian Kerr. They all gave solid performances.
The creepy atmosphere is very well done.
The set designs and costumes take you back in time effectively.
Those who like mysteries will get a kick out of figuring it out.
The story does a good job keeping you guessing what exactly is going on.
Act 3 offers a twist.
The last scene is really sweet, but also creepy!

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

People looking for a lot of horror will be disappointed.
It feels like a stage play.
The actual séance doesn’t last very long.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored.
Violence with blood
Creepy dolls
Talk and portrayal of the death of a little girl
Talk of life after death

THEMES:

Adultery
Marriage
Depression
Life after death
Guilt
The things between heaven and earth

FUNNY LINES:

Nothing worth noting.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Maybe there’s less of a distinction between grief and madness than we think.” – Emma Strand (Scottie Thompson)
“It’s exhausting having to make all of the decisions. I can’t be the woman and the man.” – Emma (Scottie Thompson) “Well, I can’t help it if everything you say is right.” – Albert Strand (Connor Paolo)
“Dickens and Twain are two of our greatest writers, but I can’t convince myself that their female characters represent any woman I’ve actually met.” – Emma (Scottie Thompson)
“My wife is a firm believer in the realm of the living.” – Albert Strand (Connor Paolo) “Though, honestly, I sometimes I can’t say I have much faith in them either.” – Emma (Scottie Thompson)