MOVIES & MANIA rating:
‘Sometimes we are called to the darkness’
The Luring is a 2019 horror film about a young man who tries to discover what event traumatised him as a child.
Written and directed by Christopher Wells (shorts: Liz; Cynthia), the Kaleidoscope Pictures production stars Rick Irwin (It Watches), Michaela Sprague (The Night Before), Henry Gagliardi, Molly Fahey (Knightmare), Ava-Riley Miles and Matan Barr.
Plot:
When Garrett was ten years old, he experienced a traumatic event while he was with his parents at their vacation home in Vermont. Later in life, he returns to the scene of this unforgettable experience with his girlfriend Claire to try and remember what happened to him.
As it turns out, some memories are best forgotten. While there, Garrett meets an enigmatic, masked woman who may hold the key to this mystery…
Our review:
The Luring is writer-director Christopher Wells’ first feature after three short films, and unfortunately, his lack of experience tackling a longer narrative structure is all too apparent. After some initially creepy scenes involving kids, the plot focuses on loathsome lead character Garrett’s descent into madness which soon becomes a drawn-out affair that goes all Jack Torrance just before an hour in when he announces “I am trying to do some actual work, this isn’t some goddamned game for me.”
And as in The Shining, Garrett (Rick Irwin) becomes crueller and crueller towards his partner, in this case, the long-suffering “crafty” Claire (Michaela Sprague). Without Kubrick’s stylistic mastery (and perhaps also reflecting that director’s equally frustrating unawareness of pacing), The Luring soon becomes tedious and repetitive (frequent mentions of New York and Vermont reveal the limitations of the worldview here) despite a slightly satisfactory twist. Dimly lit night-time shots and static direction hardly help matters. Don’t be lured in by The Luring.
Ade Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Trailer:
Choice dialogue:
“Claire “I can’t take this sh*t anymore!”
Release:
The Luring premiered at Panic Fest in Kansas City on 26th January 2019. It was released on Digital and DVD on June 16th 2020, by Wild Eye Releasing. On May 19, 2024, the movie was added to Tubi to watch free online. In 2024, it was posted on Indie Rights Movies for Free on YouTube and has since amassed over 1 million views!
Cast and characters:
Michaela Sprague … Claire; Jake Katzman … Doug; Rick Irwin … Garrett Redford; Molly Fahey … Jennifer; Daniel Martin Berkey … Stranger; Henry Gagliardi … Young Garrett; Angela Rambourg … Mrs Peyton; Alex Emanuel … Mr Peyton; Jack Garrity … Mr Redford; Chelsea Reed Davis … Susan Wells; Clara McKay … Mrs Tamlin; Kristan Lyon … Mrs Juner; Gavin Maddox Bergman … William; Laura Spaeth … Mrs Redford; Ava-Riley Miles … Young Jennifer
Country of origin:
United States
Technical specs:
1 hour 35 minutes
Aspect ratio: 1.78: 1
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