Saw VI director Kevin Greutert finally got his wish to direct a movie his mother could watch, after he teamed up with horror powerhouse Jason Blum to tell this terrifying tale set in Louisiana.
Sarah Snook stars as Jessie, a young woman forced to move back home with her estranged father after a terrible accident leaves her unable to walk. Their already strained relationship takes a turn for the worse when she discovers some old video tapes her mother had recorded for her before she died. Her father warns her not to watch them but she continues and it soon becomes apparent that her mother foretold strange events that begin happening. Is Jessabelle cursed? Nothing is as it seems.
I’m a sucker for anything set in Louisiana so I had an idea that I would like this film but I really enjoyed it.
For starters, the setting is incredibly creepy and adds so much to the look and feel of the film. In terms of content, many have made comparisons to other genre films such as The Skeleton Key and Trespassing and whilst it does share quite a lot with the former it breaks some new ground too.
The horror set-pieces are well handled and obviously benefitted from being both directed and edited by Greutert whose CV speaks for itself even before he began directing.
The cast are very good. I had never seen Snook in anything before but will now be keeping an eye out for her and Mark Webber’s Preston must be one of the most genuine nice guys to ever grace screens in a horror movie. There’s also an unexpected cameo from Alex Mack star Larisa Oleynik although sadly she’s not wearing a hat.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Jessabelle is an atmospheric chiller that doesn’t outstay its welcome, has a twist in the tale and has a bold ending. Apart from the recent It Follows, this is far better and more memorable than most of the mainstream horror efforts I’ve seen in cinemas in recent years.
