The cast of Bethany brings all of this to life with ease. Estes vacillates from lovey to confused to deadly to scared with ease. She possesses charisma for days and easily makes Claire into someone audiences want to root for. Ward gets to stretch his dramatic chops quite a bit and really delivers here. His devotion to his wife but utter fear and confusion about what’s currently happening is palpable. When she wakes up handcuffed to a hospital bed, his calm delivery is reassuring.
Doherty is terrifying as the abusive mother. In a scene where she’s berating Claire about putting on blush, each sentence will send chills up your spine. Even Tom Green (yes, that Tom Green) is quite good as the couple’s counselor. It’s a mighty impressive feat to tame his usually big persona into something manageable.
“Doherty is terrifying…”
Bressack’s direction casts an eerie pall from the first frame to the last. He maintains a taut tension, especially during a conversation in which Aaron describes his leg up at work. It begins harmless enough, but as her husband’s droning on, Claire starts to feel more and more uneasy. Audiences are on the edge of their seat, waiting to see when or if Claire breaks.
Bethany is an engaging, creepy horror tale with more on its mind than just scaring all who watch it. It wishes to say something about past trauma and how they can latently manifest themselves in adults. Thanks to a great script and wonderful casting, the film powerfully explores this. Add in the outstanding direction, and you get out of the best and smartest genre offerings in a good long while.
"…wishes to say something about past trauma and how they can latently manifest..."
