I’m a big fan of You’re Next and The Guest, which were both written by Simon Barrett, so I was keen for his directorial debut, Seance (2021). A horror movie set in an all-girls boarding school during wintertime, the film begins with a prank gone awry that accidentally causes the death of a student. With a place now available at the school, new student Camille (played by Suki Waterhouse) finds herself at odds with the reigning group of girls (the same gang responsible for the prank) while also dealing with her room possibly being haunted. With a dance rehearsal sequence that recalls Suspiria on a lower budget, Seance also brings to mind the wave of teen horror from the 1990s onwards with CW channel type actors being picked off one by one. Atmospheric and patient in setting up the presence of a campus killer, Waterhouse makes for a great lead and much like You’re Next, there was (to me, at least) a satisfying climactic pay-off that pushes the violence and gore further. Effective synth-trap score by Sicker Man. While it remains a little bit clunky and standard at points (particularly in comparison to the original Black Christmas which this recalls in its wintery setting), I thought it was a fun, spooky thriller that bodes well for Barrett’s future work as a director. Available to stream on Shudder. Recommended.
VHS Tracking 