Caveat(2020) // A Letdown

I think I’ve been drawn to psychological horror films that rely more on atmosphere than cheap jump scares, and I expected Caveat directed by Damian Mc Carthy, to fit that mold perfectly but, they under delivered because the storyline, setting and acting was giving low-budget.

Synopsis

Isaac (Jonathan French), a drifter with memory loss, is offered a babysitting job by Barrett (Ben Caplan) to stay in an isolated house on a remote island and look after Barrett’s psychologically disturbed niece, Olga (Leila Sykes), for a few days. But, there’s a disturbing condition. Isaac must wear a locked harness that limits his movement within the house.
After a series of arguments, he agrees to wear the harness. When he settles in, he begins to sense that something isn’t right. Olga, who barely speaks, clutches a creepy toy rabbit that seems to react to unseen forces. But, after a brief disturbing conversation with Olga, and his memories start returning, Isaac realizes he has a deeper connection to the house, and uncovering the truth might be the only way to escape, if he can.

It took a lot of brain racking to piece together this synopsis.

Review and Personal Criticism

Although this movie manages to be eerie, slow-burning and somehow creeps under your skin with its unsettling visuals, claustrophobic setting, and a lingering sense of dread, it didn’t check the entertainment’ vibe.

The characters weren’t fully explored, no depth about their lives or why Barrett chose to murder his brother and brother’s wife or what caused Olga’s insanity, they just went straight up into the horrors with no interesting background story that can have anyone on a chokehold.

From the very beginning, the film established a deeply unsettling tone, giving me high hopes only to switch up on my expectations by pissing me off because such a tone would have been perfect for a blockbuster film, not one whose script would have been better off if crumpled and left in a corner.

Objectively, the film thrives on silence, stillness, and the eerie discomfort of isolation. It uses excessive dim lighting(which I found upsetting in some scenes), decayed interiors, and minimal dialogue in an attempt to build an atmosphere thick with paranoia but actually fails. The house itself feels like a decaying prison and Isaac’s confinement in a restrictive harness only heightens the sense of helplessness. Aargh.
There’s one object used in this film whose purpose I find really irrelevant is the stuffed rabbit toy. The drum-rolls sound it makes irritated me. I honestly don’t know if it was to make the film creepy or it was to upset the viewers.

Well, the only good thing I derived from this film is that it doesn’t rely on sudden loud noises.

As for the characters, none of them struck a chord. I couldn’t wait for the credits to roll so I just get their real names, judge them bitterly and forget them in a blink of an eye.

Maybe there are people that find this a masterpiece. As for me, choosing to watch it was definitely one of those bad choices I’ve made this year. I figured that Its slow and abstract storytelling demanded patience but unfortunately I didn’t have any left in me to give. I prefer a more straightforward horror narrative with an exciting twist if there should be any. This one is too ambiguous to my liking, leaving certain questions it posed unanswered which was very frustrating. It also leans more on atmosphere than action. Kinda sucks.

Rating? Well, it’s a ⅖

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