Caveat Review – Sinister And Dread Filled Horror

5/5

Caveat is crammed with dread that does not let up throughout. Made on a low budget, Caveat taps into the horrors of untreated mental illness, death and what goes bump in the night in a run down isolated house.

Caveat is set in Ireland and follows Issac (Johnny French), a drifter desperate for cash after suffering from amnesia following a car accident. A friend and Issac’s former landlord, Moe (Ben Caplan) offers Issac money to look after his niece for five days – who suffers from severe mental illness and catatonic states. The niece lives in a remote area, and Moe wants Issac to keep her company after her father has died.

Issac has his reservations, starting before the title sequence, that there must be more to this babysitting gig. As the audience and Issac soon find out, Caveat is an apt name for this film. However, Issac ignoring his instincts, decides to accept the deal. Soon after Issac arrives at the remote house on an island and then finds out Moe wants him to wear a leather harness that is attached to a chain. He claims the niece Olga, suffers from night terrors and has a fear that someone will attack her at night. In essence, he becomes a prisoner of the house, both figuratively and literally.

Now this is all a little suspicious, but it is understandable since Issac has no memory and believes he can trust Moe, who claims he is his friend. Though as he later states, Moe does not seem like the kind of guy he would be friends with. But by then, it is far too late, and even if he wanted to escape, Issac cannot swim.

Caveat is the feature directorial debut of Damian Mc Carthy and it is a superb debut for a director. It is a psychological horror, relying more on the ominous presence of dread than jump scares, although there are a couple of jumpscares throughout. One of the first things that enhances this dread, is the low hum of sound that punctuates every other scene. Which only makes the silence just as disturbing and feels like you are holding your breath anticipating.

Mc Carthy uses the environment of a rundown abandoned house to his advantage, with drab earthy tones and shadows in every corner. It is barely inhabitable, with mould, cracked walls and barely functioning lighting and electricity. The house feels like a living thing as much a part of the film as the few characters in it. We hear the creaks along with the rattling of chains that, in sympathy with Issac, make us distrust the house, as much as the niece that he is staying with. 

Playing with the lightning, the level of creepiness within this film is so intense, that sometimes it is hard to keep looking as you anticipate something horrible is just about to happen. That it does with haunting paintings that won’t stay still, a twisted toy rabbit that sinisterly beats a drum, and sounds that come from the darkness. 

Caveat has an atmosphere akin to films like As Above, So Below, and The Empty Man and even is reminiscent of horror game atmospheres such as Madison, you almost forget you are not in the house along with Issac. Leaning more heavily on your imagination, it does plenty to make you wonder what really is up with this house, Moe and his disturbed niece.

The niece Olga (Leila Sykes), seems much more than someone just suffering from night terrors and grief. She goes catatonic covering her eyes with her palms, and then when you first meet her she greets Issac with a crossbow, relaying a story about her mother’s cruel punishment of the father that led to his death. 

With a small budget and only 3 main characters in the film, Caveat keeps up the pace, making you wonder what comes next. And even though little is known about each of the characters (though some of the backstory is later filled in with flashbacks) you feel connected to Issac and are rooting for him to survive this horrorscape. However, with each flashback, more disturbing things come to light, making you wonder about the truth about this family and this house.

Caveat is relentless in its unsettling atmosphere, leaving you with a feeling of dread and uncertainty that lingers with you for days to come.

Caveat is available to stream on Shudder.

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Ripping
A sci-fi horror enthusiast, founder of The ScreenSlut website and gaming nerd. Halloween never ends in her house!

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