A daughter, mother, and grandmother are haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their family’s home.
This Australian film set in Regional Victoria, starts off with a simple but common occurrence of Edna (Robyn Nevin) who has dementia, disappearing and reappearing days later having no awareness of the cause of suffering to those who have been entrusted with her care. If this was the only basis for this story, it could be easily dismissed as a commonplace medium to showcase awareness of the temperamental process of aging and the indisputable terms of acceptance. The writers here, James and Christian White, aren’t having it though, and have found a way to slowly incorporate the dysfunction of a family dynamic and the fear of what resolution is needed while compounding it with an element of sheer horror. As the film opens, Kay (Emily Mortimer) and Sam (Bella Heathcote) are making plans to visit the home of Edna (Kay’s mother and Sam’s grandmother) after she has disappeared and there are no clues to her whereabouts. While neither seems to know where to start looking for her, there are clues around her house that signify the demise of her mental state. In addition to this reality check, both mother and daughter have their own insecurities that have caused a disconnect in their relationship with one another.
Milling around the house together with fearful trepidation, they try to make the most of their downtime by pretending there is a common cause that they both have a valid interest in, and at the same time, each is trying to grasp the idea of who Edna has become though the elements of discord they find in her home. The real fun starts when Edna shows back up just as mysteriously as she left, with an ungrateful attitude and a spooky disposition. While Kay gets more and more pissed, Sam tries to be comforting and reassuring. Edna seems to be operating with a new element of evil as she lashes out at everything and everyone, and at times, they find her staring into space or sitting in a room having a conversation with someone who isn’t there. A visit with the doctor assures them that there are several components to dementia and there should be some preparation for further emotional disconnect. While Kay is convinced that the best place for Edna would be in a facility suited for her needs, Sam thinks that she can move in with Edna and be there for her physically and emotionally. Sam is completely blindsided when Edna accuses her of stealing something she gave her and makes her feel she is no longer welcome in her home.
As the severity of Edna’s dementia sets in, so does the feeling that there is an evil force that resides not only in Edna’s house but also in her body. As the film slowly builds into the reckoning of a force that won’t be controlled, the house becomes a fearful place that seems to exist in conjunction with a consortium of smudge that is smeared all over the house as well as all over Edna’s body. In the end, the source of the smudge is revealed as well as the source of Edna’s mean spirit. Another revelation is the fact that Kay and Sam have so much more to offer one another than was previously thought. This is brought on by their shared experience with Edna and her house of horrors.
While director Natalie Erika James uses a great amount of symbolism to express thoughts and actions in this film, I am still not certain that I’m amused by symbolic dementia coupled with an alien fear factor. This was both intriguing and regretful, however, the pairing of dementia with the impact of psychosis compounded by a fear factor, definitely creates a level of introspective entertainment.
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