"THE CELLAR" // SXSW 2022
The classic setup of a family moving into a creepy old house gets an update in THE CELLAR, the new haunted house chiller from Irish writer/director Brendan Muldowney. Elisha Cuthbert and Eoin Macken play Keira and Brian Woods, a couple who, along with their daughter Ellie (Abby Fitz), move into a brand new house. The creeps and scares are deliberately off camera often, making it all the more creepy. This is a house in the middle of nowhere, something Ellie absolutely hates. However, this is truly a film following a mother who is about to risk everything and go up against anything, even a portal to hell, to save her family.
Muldowney specifically states that he wanted to build a film that he could watch with his daughter, so don't expect a profanity laced, gore filled, nudity filled horror film. This has all the trappings of of an old school horror classic. When we do get into the third act is when the film truly excels and the creepy ending wraps everything in a deliciously macabre bow. Cuthbert is cold and stilted, which at first seems like perhaps bad acting, but the further the film goes it fits in well with the character and is simply who Kiera is. Muldowney keeps things very spooky and refreshing in a tale that brings a timeless horror feel to a new generation of moviegoers.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Brendan Muldowney STARRING Elisha Cuthbert, Eoin Macken, Abby Fitz, Dylan Fitzmaurice-Brady. SELECTED AS PART OF THE 2022 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: THE CELLAR