Oddity Review: Damian Mc Carthy Directs Well-Paced Indie Horror Flick

   October 2, 2024
oddity 2024 movie
Oddity (2024), directed by Damian Mc Carthy

Oddity is a rather succinct and well-paced Shudder movie, making it a surprisingly refreshing picture given the current state of independent horror and Shudder‘s most recent original movies to debut on the platform. Perhaps they saved the best for a loaded October because Oddity kicks it off in strong fashion, using jarring framing and bloodstained gore to effective results.

And perhaps I also like Oddity because it sticks to the basics. Director Damian Mc Carthy doesn’t need all the bells and whistles to make a low stakes indie film with inventive scares and a few twists to keep you locked in. It’s a testament to his rapidly improving talent that despite Oddity being only his second feature length film, it has the composition level of someone who has spent years in the industry meticulously crafting a unique style.

Oddity follows a blind clairvoyant with psychometric powers named Darcy, whose twin sister Dani is brutally murdered during the cold open of the film (both Darcy and Dani are played by Carolyn Bracken). Dani’s husband Ted (Gwilym Lee) is a psychiatrist that works with many of the region’s most delirious, unstable people. One of his patients, Olin Boole (Tadhg Murphy), is charged with the crime, imprisoned, and eventually found similarly murdered.

This is the central mystery to the story. Thus begins a 98 minute journey to uncover the truth behind the murders and finding out dark, twisted family secrets along the way.

And through on eerily designed set piece to another, Oddity becomes a brisk, engaging, and often terrifying story. The editing is quick and effective, and the lighting gives way to many worthwhile scares. Although the ending is rather predictable, the journey to get there makes it an ending you can forgive.

Oddity isn’t the flashiest independent movie of the year, but it’s good enough in a genre that can often stoop to some pretty low lows when limited financially or due to a lack of talent. Instead, the movie often finds new ground by sticking to the basics and knowing what it does best. A tightly wound, lean effort from director Damian Mc Carthy.

Score: 6/10

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