Sisters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher, "Yellowjackets") and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair, "Bird Box") are grieving their mother's recent death when a strange creature begins haunting their home. Their psychologist father (Chris Messina, "The Mindy Project") is not fully engaged, so he doesn't listen to their pleas for help. They decide to fight the evil themselves before the creature destroys them all.
Based on a short story by Stephen King, this modest chiller keeps audience interest by offering solid work by the actors. They ground the film in a quiet reality that gives us a reason to be invested in what happens. The downside to this is that much of what happens in this movie feels like we've seen it all before: the withdrawn teen who gets bullied by her fellow students, having to protect the cute little sister who just wants to play her video games and be left alone. The dad who's too distraught to pay attention to what's going on around him, while going through the motions of his job -- which is to listen to people. The familiar creature who hides in the shadows and must be defeated by the light. Even the warnings from the estranged couple who everyone thinks is crazy but 'knows the truth.'
These overly used tropes kind of dilute the overall impact. Yet I did appreciate that the director Rob Savage ("Host") and his writers (Scott Beck, Bryan Woods and Mark Heyman) avoided the easy way out with cheap gore effects, opting instead to build a sense of suspense and atmosphere. Without giving too much away, the film does leave the door open for a sequel. It's to the film's credit that I didn't cringe at the thought of one happening.
