Seance is captivating, though it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why. Maybe it’s the cast of talented young women. Maybe it’s the use of Gothic tropes and the familiar story about the past haunting the present. Yet, even that storyline feels surprisingly fresh in Simon Barrett’s film. On paper, this movie should be cliché, but it’s not. Instead, it manages to blend a good old-fashioned ghost story with a slasher. Barrett, writer of You’re Next and The Guest, handles directing duties well after finessing his horror chops for years.

The film stars Suki Waterhouse as Camille, a strong-willed lead who lands a coveted spot at the prestigious Fairfield Academy following one of the student’s untimely deaths. There, she meets a group of friends who dislike her for taking their dead pal’s spot. Alice (Inanna Sarkis) leads the clique and oozes mean girl status. She even pops Camille in the nose for sitting at their table. Yes, the film traffics in some teen movie cliches, but it’s entertaining, nonetheless. Of course, in a movie like this, there must be a quiet, awkward girl who befriends the new student. That character is Helina (Ella-Rae Smith). Watching the friendship between Helena and Camille blossom is a real treat.

After we’re introduced to the ensemble of students, the film weaves between a spooky ghost story and a slasher. Lights flicker in Camille’s room, and she has nightmares about Kerrie (Megan Best), the dead student. It doesn’t help that she stays in Kerrie’s dorm room. After the students complete a seance in the library, they’re picked off one by one by someone or something. They spend the remainder of the film trying to solve the mystery before another one of them drops. If the film has one major flaw, it’s that most of the supporting characters are too paper-thin, so their deaths don’t hit as hard as they should. Only Alice, Camille, and to some extent, Helina, feel like fully realized characters. The other students are mere slasher fodder.

That said, Barrett has a way of pulling you into this film. The pacing is on-point. The shadowy hallways make you think a ghost lurks around the corner, and the reveal at the end feels well-earned because Barrett slowly builds to that point. Thus, he lands the ending quite well. Patience pays off with this one.

Overall, Seance appeals to long-time genre fans, especially with Barrett’s record, but it’s a great gateway film for newbies, too. Until a few kills in the last act, the bloodshed is restrained, with the camera often cutting away. The fact its cast features all young actresses will probably draw comparisons to The Craft, but it’s not quite that type of film. Yes, it has a little bit to say about identity and women discovering their power, but nothing to do with witchcraft. It also lacks a character quite as strong and memorable as the foursome in The Craft.  This is like a Henry James story meets a 90s slasher with a dash of Mean Girls.

Now that Barrett has written and directed a feature, hopefully, we see more from him soon.  Seance is set to be released from RJLE Films and Shudder in theaters, digitally, and On-Demand on May 21, with a premiere on Shudder to follow later this year.

 

7 out of 10 Lipstick Planchettes

 

Seance
Rating: R
Seance - OFFICIAL TRAILER
Runtime: 1 Hr. 32 Mins.
Directed By:
Written By:

 

 

About the Author

Brian Fanelli loves drive-in movie theaters and fell in love with horror while watching Universal monster movies as a kid with his dad. He also writes about the genre for Signal Horizon Magazine, HorrOrigins, and Horror Homeroom. He is an Associate Professor of English at Lackawanna College.