The renaissance of Irish horror brings Gaelic folklore to an international audience. Rooted in familial bonds and relationships that transcend the literal world, these films don't pander to their audiences. They don't spend time filling in gaps and explaining what their monsters are, they just tell the story and allow people to take from it what they choose.
Damien McCarthy's Oddity is a particularly unsettling piece of Irish cinema. When her twin Dani is murdered, Darcy (Carolyn Bracken) determines that despite her blindness she will be the one to enact vengeance. Darcy's blindness seems to have imbued her with another skill, the ability to learn about people from their personal objects. Running a shop that sells curiosities she warns her visiting bereaved brother-in-law that her wares are cursed, a step to prevent stealing with the curses being removed at purchase. He'd be surprised how many stolen objects are returned to her, she tells him.
He invites her to the home where Dani was murdered and despite a lack of clear confirmation from either of them, she arrives one evening. With her, she brings a large wooden crate.
Brother-in-law Ted (Gwilym Lee) and new girlfriend Yana (Caroline Menton) are on their way out. After an awkward exchange between the three of them he heads off but as Yana can't find her keys she is forced to stay. When Yana leaves the main space and then returns, a full-sized man carved from wood appears at the dining room table. Darcy claims she didn't put it there, and as the night goes on Yana notices that it seems to move. Darcy gradually puts together what happened to her sister, and as the conspiracy is uncovered both her vulnerability and strength are tested to their limits.
Perhaps the scariest film of 2024, Oddity weaves two timelines in a way that drip-feeds facts to bring out the maximum tension. Though the ending perhaps doesn't reach the chilling heights of the first hour or more, it doesn't matter much. The scenes with Dani are particularly terrifying, as you know from the start that she is doomed.
Carolyn Bracken's double performance is excellent and manages to bring a different feel to each twin that makes them truly like two separate people. Other actors are perhaps a little hammy, but again it doesn't take from the experience which is ultimately driven by Dani, Darcy, and their bond. The house where the story takes place is almost a character unto itself, both in its unfinished state as Dani renovates it, and polished and completed after her death. Filled with large areas of dark negative space and open doorways that lead to dark rooms, it's impossible not to be constantly scanning the screen for secrets and clues, ghosts and dangers.
Oddity is possibly one of the best recent additions to Shudder's catalogue, and a great way for horror fans to start their year.
Oddity is released on Blu-ray and DVD on the 6th of January
