"OFFSEASON" // SXSW 2021
The Midnight Movie is a classic cinema tradition, spanning back to the 1950's and is often used as a synonym for cult film, B-film or anything that might belong in the counterculture. Film festivals often have a "Midnight Movie" section, showcasing off-beat horror and thriller selections. At this year's SXSW, OFFSEASON is one of those types of films, a creepy middle of nowhere mystery. Jocelin Donahue plays Marie, a young woman who's still reeling from the death of her mother. One day she gets a disturbing letter letting her know that her mother's grave has been vandalized. So she and her partner George (Joe Swanberg) head to the town where her mother is buried - a creepy desolate town that feels like it's straight out of a horror movie (because, well, it is). A local warns them that they shouldn't enter the town with the weather being as bad as it is. They continue on, of course, and soon find themselves trapped within the town.
Tying to find her mother's grave becomes a journey within itself and she and George get separated. The people in the town are strange, off putting even. And there's something very strange about her Mother's will, which insists that she's buried on the island, an island that she always stated that she hated. Could her mother's will be forged? Is there a larger reason why she's been brought to this town? As the hours tick by, Marie will discover more and more about these people and why she is seemingly trapped there during the towns offseason. Writer/Director Mikey Keating packs a lot of creepy elements in the film, surrounding Marie with fog nearly every chance he gets. As Marie, Jocelin Donahue is excellent. She commands the film, drawing us into her performance as she works her way slowly through the puzzle of this town. The atmosphere all around is one of the best things about OFFSEASON, effectively plunging us into a true nightmare of a town. There's a good amount of jump scares, so even if they all don't get you, chances are some of them will and the films slow pace keeps the mystery going just long enough to add intrigue without testing our patience. It's an exciting and creepy film, one that you'll be glad you're visiting from afar and not in person yourself.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Mickey Keating STARRING Jocelin Donahue, Joe Swanberg, Richard Brake, Melora Walters, Jeremy Gardner, April Linscott SELECTED AS PART OF THE 2021 SXSW FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: OFFSEASON