Writing a decent movie about a haunting is hard work. I’m serious. Two very likely scenarios are almost always the outcome. Scenario 1: A film-maker goes balls to the walls with visual effects and completely forgets to include an enthralling story-line. Scenario 2: A film-maker focuses too much on a captivating story and their movie resembles a drama more than a horror flick. I’m happy to say that Kyle Mecca’s Dwelling ignored those two pitfalls and became an artistic, original and mysterious piece that encompasses all aspects of spiritual specters. In Dwelling, a young couple and their daughter move into a spooky house that contains quite the haunted history. Spurred by a paranormal incident that damaged her sister, one of the new residents chose the house on purpose in hopes of making a connection with the other side. Unfortunately, their conduit – a black mirror – proves faulty and a malevolent presence is unleashed that seeks to bring harm to the budding family. Erin Marie Hogan (SHOWTIME’s Ray Donovan), Devanny Pinn (ID’s Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery), Mu-Shaka Benson, Abigail Mary and Bill Brown star in this film from producers Brandyn T. Williams and Arylynn Knauff.
Dwelling is a big accomplishment for two reasons. It serves as the feature length debut of writer/director Kyle Mecca and I’m impressed by the fact that it was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. That’s right, Dwelling is currently available in stores and on demand at Walmart, Target, FYI, Amazon and iTunes. For his first race out the gate, this is a monumental moment and sets him up for a bright and successful future. Congratulations, Kyle. The second accomplishment is his gift as a screenwriter. Dwelling is smart. It doesn’t rely on one source of paranormal activity, which is why I mentioned above how mysterious it is. If you’re a frequent SYFY viewer, you know there are different layers to a haunting and, believe it or not, different sources of hauntings, too. In Dwelling, the viewer is left in suspense while wondering if the source of the haunting stems from the mirror, a doll, the house itself, or an evil entity that exists outside of those three. It’s a story that’s not a cut and dry, paranormal investigation thriller and I was here for the throwback nature of the film. It fit in just fine during my 31 Days of Horror Film Challenge.
And that’s not to say that the film is dull and boring. I counted three separate plot twists that kept the story revolving at a moderate pace, in between outstanding visuals and ghostly assaults. Cinematographer Matthew A. Nardone and composer Steven Borowski deserve credit for helping to craft certain scenes that made Dwelling the caliber of quality that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is known for. There were scenes that made me think, “damn, this is award winning material,” and scenes that were genuinely creepy – including the one ghostly apparition in the hallway. With an original and creative plot, and outstanding work behind the camera, what else is there to touch on? The acting, of course. First, I’d like to say… Poor Devanny Pinn. Her characters always go through the ringer, always. Dwelling is no exception to that and I applaud Devanny for being so daring as to always tap into the essence of these damaged and dying souls. It takes a true actress to touch darkness and embrace it again and again and again. I’m happy to see that Erin Marie Hogan is sticking with horror and she’s quickly becoming one to watch for, and Dwelling also serves as my introduction to the talent of Mu-Shaka Benson. All four leads were thoroughly enjoyable, but I think Devanny stole the show.
There’s not much left to say. I mean, could Dwelling have been a little more horror? Yes, just a smidge, but it was worth the price of purchase. I think paranormal enthusiasts and old-school horror fans are going to dig it the most, and I caution new and younger viewers to pay attention to content over fright-o-meter. Dwelling is the type of movie that takes a while to marinate, so you have to give it a longer opportunity to do so before switching it off. It also boasts the subtle theme that terrible events can happen to anyone, which is perhaps the scariest thing of all. What’s lurking inside the house? You’ll just have to watch and find out for yourself. Final Score: 7 out of 10.
