Can modern horror be good? If 2021âs âSeparationâ is the template, the answer is a resounding no.
The story is cliché. The acting is suspect. The editing is noticeably poor. And the director; William Brent Bell, has a resume thatâs already chock full of stinkers. Add this to the mix.
The first act is good.
I was invested in the characters. Jeff (Rupert Friend) is an out of work artist. He rides the coattails of successful wife (Mamie Gummer) and loves his young daughter (Violet McGraw). The opening portion of the story is sad, and youâll feel for the Jeff character as he goes about his world trying to be successful. In fact, youâll forget its supposed to be a horror movie. Untilâ¦
Jeff was a successful comic book artists, and has a legion of creepy characters scattered around the house that he created. The wife files for divorce, shit happens. The end.
âSeparationâ tries to be artsy in its messages in a way that reminded me of âThe Babadook.â Unlike that film however, the horror here is laughable. We get some cool looking creepy puppets, but the scares arenât earned. Itâs as if the production found sinister looking dolls and crafted a movie around them. Horror takes place during dream sequences. Nothing makes sense.
The acting is whatever. Friend is fine. Gummer, who I later discovered is the daughter of Meryl Streep â is fine. The score is intrusive â it doesnât let the scenes breath. And there are a number of editing mistakes so obvious even an untrained eye can spot them. And the ending is so stupid. From the supposed âtwistâ to the concluding finish. There is literally no point at all to the entire production.
I didnât want to write a review for this since there isnât anything else to say. It was planned for #31DaysofHalloween but it doesnât deserve that honor. Itâs an awful movie. I wasted .49 cents on the rental. Save your money â and your precious October film time and donât bother with this.
âSeparationâ is available to rent on Amazon.
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