After self-help book author May and her husband Ted are attacked at night by a mysterious man in a mask, she is left in shock by the attack but Ted just shrugs the incident off mentioning it happens every night. But when the masked man returns, even after May has killed him multiple times, she tries to figure out why this keeps happening. Things take another turn when Ted goes missing and other women in her life share the same scares as her.
Home invasion horror films are a dime a dozen and it's difficult to keep this kind of horror film fresh but Brea Grant who stars as May and wrote the screenplay has found a way. Weaving together the repetition of the attacks from the masked man in with her character's work as a writer and her own insecurities and struggles, the story runs smoothly building up the mystery of what is going on with May but loses focus when suddenly the other women and their attackers appear all at once. This sudden switch from a singular story to the inclusion of all women fighting their own battles needed to be introduced gradually but it's still hitting moment when May's book title, ‘Going it Alone' becomes more than just a cliché self-help hook, these women literally are having to ‘go it alone' and fight their own demons and battles.
Combining the time loop science fiction element with the horror of home invasion is entertaining enough but the added layers of self-doubt and fighting one's own demons is a whole other genre. Living out the metaphorical pain and fear was an element to the story that could have delved deeper, especially when other women being attacked in the car park by other masked men was shown. When May's assistant suggests that they all fight together and May says no, they have to just stay calm and fight on their own is unexpected. It's a strange choice having seen her struggle alone and seek out her sister-in-law and even her husband for help and support.
Having starred in recent horror films as 12 Hour Shift and The Stylist, Brea Grant is quickly turning into the go-to scream queen for indie horror filmmakers. As May, she works overtime, being on screen the entire film, really channelling the confusion and desperation and finally the acceptance that fighting the masked man is just something she has to face. With Grant also taking the reins on story as screenwriter, this is an exciting step and hopefully, we'll get to see more from Grant in the future.
Dir: Natasha Kermani
Prd: Chelsea Davenport, Patrick Ewald
Scr: Brea Grant
Cast: Brea Grant, Dhruv Uday Singh, Kausar Mohammed
DoP: Julia Swain
Music: Jeremy Zuckerman
Year: 2021
Country: USA
Running time: 89 minutes
Lucky will be streaming on Shudder from 4th March
Interestingly, apart from the final act Lucky is a remake of Repulsion, a 1965 film by Roman Polanski.