“Oddity” is the second film from Damian Mc Carthy, the so-called Irish Ari Aster. Released in 2024, it gained popularity amidst the most ravenous of horror fans, coming to my attention via recommendation from a podcast. I’ve found that horror movies that I hadn’t heard of become some of my favorites (“It Follows,” “The House on Pine Street”) so I was all in.
I haven’t been scared watching a movie in some time. This one achieved the ultimate in horror rush.
Ted and Dani Timmis are renovating a spacious, breathtaking, and of course creepy country home. Ted (Gwilym Lee) works as a graveyard shift psychiatrist at a mental hospital, leaving Dani alone at night. The structure itself is ominous. Stone walls, wood doors, and lots of shadows and rafters, it’s the perfect place for ghosts to linger.
Late one night, Dani gets a knock at the door. A disturbed former patient of Ted’s (Tadhg Murphy) is delivering a warning to Dani. It’s a great dilemma for the character, and the rest of the movie proceeds because of her choice.
Great Characters
Darcy is Dani’s twin sister (Carolyn Bracken in both roles). Darcy is blind and claims to have clairvoyant abilities. She runs an antique shop in which all items are said to be haunted. The curse is lifted at times of purchase, she advises. It’s a nice touch because at the onset, we don’t know if Darci is actually supernatural or just plain weird.
Carolyn Bracken and Gwilym Lee are excellent on-screen talents. The story progresses in an almost play-like style as new characters are introduced in seemingly every scene. Bracken is unrecognizable from the character of Dani to the character of Darcy.
Tadhg Murphy is distinguished by his artificial right eye, and it makes his character here all the creepier. He slides into horror character fluidly, as does Caroline Menton who is great in the role of Yana.
Another character is introduced when Darci arrives at the Timmis home with a life-sized wooden mannequin. The creature is a terrifying sight, and its presence in the room is enough to send chills down your spine.
Artsy
The film is aesthetically pleasing, and dark in its tone. We get the beautiful and foreboding Irish countryside as a backdrop. Set in County Cork, Ireland, Mc Carthy filmed “Oddity” in the same location as his first film, “Caveat,” which I will now be checking out.
A patient (Jonathan French) at the hospital makes creepy drawings. There’s a sadistic orderly (Steve Wall). The country home is a perfect backdrop for horror. Its remote, there’s limited cell service, Dani and Ted sleep in a tent. A great addition is a camera that takes timed photographs of a seemingly empty hallway. It’s weird at first but makes sense when its revealed.
Damian Mc Carthy has the chops to deliver a beautiful film. At 98 minutes, “Oddity” moves quick. I found the overall story to be a bit cliché and would have preferred a different direction.
That said, “Oddity” includes some of the best scares I have seen in some time. It’s a film with replay value, and a must-watch for horror fans.
