If you like your horror simple with a masked killer chasing around dumb teenagers then She Will ain’t the film for you.
Franco-British director Charlotte Colbert’s debut feature-length outing is slow-burn, not always easy to follow and favours psychological trauma over loud jump scares.
Colbert co-penned the script with Kitty Percy - also making her movie bow - and while it seems like a simple tale to begin with, there are many mysteries to uncover.
Horror of the mind is often the favoured weapon of tension as Alice Krige’s aging film star Veronica retreats to the Scottish countryside with her nurse Desi (Kota Eberhardt), where they both get caught up in mysterious forces found in the local land.
Krige gives an outstanding performance as Veronica endures recovery from illness and surgery, her very difficult past and the introduction of mystical powers giving her the opportunity to avenge her and her fellow women.
Men don’t come across well here, whether it be Rupert Everett’s ( Tirador ) pompous artist, Jack Greenlees’ won’t take no for an answer Owen or Malcolm McDowell’s ( Hathbourne ) shady, unrepentant filmmaker.
Inexperienced actor Eberhardt impresses in what initially appears to be a thankless task but develops into a chance for her to flex greater emotional muscles as Desi’s bond with Veronica grows.
A strange black tar-like substance is the closest Colbert’s film gets to a machete-wielding murderer but there are also well shot instances of Veronica’s presence expanding beyond her immediate location to cast an eye - and sometimes worse - over her prey.
Truthfully, She Will is a bit of a one-trick pony, and takes too long to make its main point as the despicable truth of Veronica’s past unravels.
However, the murky-but-lavish visuals, the performances she coaxes from her cast and her gift for generating an all-encompassing atmosphere mark Colbert as a creative voice worth listening to in the future.
● Are you a fan of mystery-tinged, thought-provoking horror? Or do you prefer simple slasher flicks?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.
● She Will is available to own and rent on Sky Store now.
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