The twin — evil, happy, identical — has been a trope of the horror genre since the Lumiere Brothers made their wonderous films. Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, Oddity is a stellar creeping United Kingdom horror picture filled with inventive moments of terror that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The filmmaker blends folk horror and crime thriller with style to create a world with an oppressive, calculating atmosphere.
The film opens with Dani (Carolyn Bracken) settling into her fixer-upper of a house with her husband, Ted (Gwilym Lee). The home, nestled in the remote Irish countryside, is a huge farmhouse built out of stone with a large, paved courtyard in a square shape based on Roman or Greek abodes. The setting is right out of vintage Hammer or early British horror films like The Vulture. Ted works at night in the city as a doctor in a sanatorium tending to inmates. Without electricity and barely any phone signal, even at the best of times, Dani is alone, so it is startling when a stranger, Olin Boole (Tadgh Murphy), knocks on the front door to alert her that he observed someone sneaking into the house. The terror mounts, reaching a crescendo when a masked person in a yellow poncho brutally murders Dani with a hammer.
Oddity then shifts to Darcy (Carolyn Bracken), Dani’s blind twin sister. She works in an oddities shop and provides services as a spiritual medium. Ted has already moved on, living with his girlfriend, Yana (Carol Menton), in the same house mentioned already. Darcy appears at the home with a trunk and insinuates herself into staying despite the couple’s plans. Darcy is there to remember Dani on the anniversary of her death and perhaps do some investigating. To that end, she meets Olin, who is considered by many to be a murderer. However, Darcy believes there’s something more sinister afoot. Soon, she’s investigating her sister’s murder, but nothing can prepare Darcy for what she’s about to discover.
“…she’s investigating her sister’s murder, but nothing can prepare Darcy for what she’s about to discover.”
Oddity is filled with moments that will make you jump. Several sequences ooze creepiness as characters sleaze in and out of diamond-tipped terror moments. The dialogue, use of shadows, and intense atmosphere create an eerie experience that will leave you with a sense of dread and anticipation. The film plays out as a direct concussion to your senses as retribution is sought and secrets are gleaned.
The film features tour de force acting by all the players involved. Bracken especially stands out in a role where it could have been hard to distinguish specific traits. Her mannerisms and speech patterns as Darcy are completely different than as Dani, and she never feels like she’s faking any disability. Lee is a suitable foil, with an understated coldness toward all the women in his life, which makes for several intense moments.
Oddity doesn’t linger on the gore, but the practical blood effects are well handled. The dark, obscured images and the anticipation of what is around the corner, the unease of the unknown, are what make this a true modern horror classic. The situation’s gothic stylings and the isolated yet sprawling location give us a mile-deep trench of dread. The musical score, solid direction, and envious camera work all add finesse to the proceedings.
"…a mile-deep trench of dread. "
