There is a proper darkness dwelling within the soulful tapestry that is writer/director's latest feature film Séance, a human darkness grounded within the human experience and the universal themes that both bind us and tear us apart.
Inspired by the August Strindberg play Creditors, Séance is set in 1892 California. Emma Strand (Scottie Thompson) is an unsettled woman, married to Albert (Connor Paolo) yet contemplating getting back together with her ex-husband George (Jilon VanOver). George clearly considers the idea as well, his marriage to Lillian (Vivian Kerr) saddled by her mental instability and belief that she's haunted by their now dead child.
You are correct in thinking that Séance, in some ways, sets itself up to be a Victorian gothic horror, a sense amplified by much of the film being set in George and Lillian's mansion where they all four become holed up during a particularly nasty storm. The atmosphere is ripe for all sorts of possibilities and, yes, it's clear that Kerr knows that as the story unfolds. We're never quite certain and we ought not to be.
Yet, Séance is something different that is best experienced rather than described within the words of this review. While set in 1892, Séance feels very universal and relatable with Kerr's storytelling both easy to identify with and easy to be creeped out by.
Séance is, at its core, about the storms that rage both internally and externally. It is a horror film, I suppose, but not in the usual sense. The best horror, at least for me, is borne out of the tragedy that often becomes us in real life.
I'll use myself as an example.
I married in my early 20's, somewhat miraculously if you ask nearly anyone. Born with spina bifida and numerous other health concerns, I wasn't supposed to survive and I sure wasn't supposed to thrive.
Not to be crass, but even getting laid was highly unlikely.
That marriage ended poorly, her death by suicide claiming both her life and the life of our newborn daughter. Time doesn't heal all wounds and unsurprisingly that early adulthood tragedy has followed me throughout my life. What little faith I had in humanity dissipated.
That level of fear is at the core of Séance, a film that captures the real horror of learning something about yourself that is inescapable and perhaps even frightening. Adultery and grief are, indeed, very real and it's tragic that they might actually be part of who we are. I'm sitting here writing this on Christmas morning, my very least favorite time of year precisely because the grief and trauma that often define me rise to the surface. Séance's Emma may not be wearing her temptations yet they are no less consuming. It's a psychological horror that's no less maddening.
Into all of this, Kerr's ensemble is exceptional. Scottie Thompson's Emma is both troubling and sympathetic, compelling yet not. Thompson is truly remarkable here in portraying the multi-layered complexities of a woman living across the emotional and physical spectrum. Jilon VanOver's George is similarly inspired, balancing a myriad of emotions, largely repressed, and complex life circumstances. Connor Paolo's Albert is seemingly muted by it all, however, there's a wondrous bubbling throughout that by film's end allows us to realize just how remarkable Paolo's performance is throughout. Of course, there is the always reliable Kerr herself vividly bringing to life the complexities of Lillian and all that unfolds within her and around her.
While Séance is entirely dependent upon this ensemble, Kerr has cast even the smallest roles impeccably. Lensing by Johanna Coelho is beautifully realized amplifying the film's thrills without compromising emotional resonance. Editing by Toby Yates is precise in immersing us in the rhythms of Kerr's storytelling.
Séance had its world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival and continues along its festival journey. It's an immensely rewarding film that should have no problem continuing its successful festival journey before hopefully landing with a boutique distributor able to give it the love it deserves in bringing it to a wider audience.
Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
