So far this year, I’ve seen a plethora of amazing horror films, and 2017 has just begun! That’s always a good sign for the horror community. I’ve also seen quite a few that have left me with “what the hell just happened” moments, which is a rarity. Bethany is a recent favorite of mine that did just that.
Directed by James Cullen Bressack, with a script by Bressack and Zack Ward, Bethany is a spooky story complete with unexpected twists and turns. The film has a unique group of cast members starring Stefanie Estes, Zack Ward, Tom Green, Shannen Doherty, Anna Harr, Leon Russom, and more.
“Claire (Estes) and her husband (Ward) find themselves moving back into Claire’s childhood home only to have the abusive and traumatic memories of her mother (Doherty) come back to haunt her. As her husband starts to get more work, Claire finds herself mixed up in a fog of past and present, with a mysterious figure haunting her memories. What is this small figure that is trying to reach out to her, and what does it want?”
Bethany had me at the edge of my seat the whole time. It is a bit of a slow burn, but the film worked its way up to a mind-blowing and cringe-worthy experience. Little by little, Bressack unfolds pieces of the story, teasing the audience and leaving us wondering what is really going on. To me, it’s always a bit of a bummer when the viewer can figure out what’s going on right away, but you won’t have to worry about that with this film.
The casting choice was spot on. They have a mix of people with strong pulls in the film industry from different types of genres, and it works out wonderfully. The stand-out performance by far was given by Stefanie Estes, who plays Claire. She kills it as a disturbed and emotional Mother who is fearless despite being put in horrendous situations. To make things even worse she seems to be the only one aware of the crazy disturbances happening.
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Everyone else gave life to their characters as well. Zack Ward is back in the horror game and not only helped write the story but also delivers a genuine performance as Claire’s husband and apprehensive soon-to-be first-time Father. I would love to see Ward do more horror roles. It was interesting seeing Tom Green play a character that wasn’t in a comedic situation, but he did it well. I was by far impressed with Shannen Doherty’s character, and she has the “Mommy Dearest” role down perfectly and truly terrified me. Last but not least, I have to mention Anna Harr’s role as young Claire. Often child actors can over-perform, but she was genuine, convincing, and rather stunning as a traumatized young daughter of an eccentric and troublesome Mother.
Bethany doesn’t have an extreme amount of blood and gore, but many scenes stick in your head after the film is over. Some of those moments are cringeworthy and had me looking away from the screen, which rarely ever happens. I actually jumped, almost knocking over my laptop at one point, and just shook my head at how ridiculous it was that I was letting this film get to me. But it did.
Overall, I was highly impressed by this film and a story that I knew nothing about prior to watching it. James Cullen Bressack knows how to deliver scares, cringeworthy moments, and rich characters that linger with you and have the viewer questioning everything that just happened. I think the ending will be interpreted differently by everyone who watches Bethany. The film releases on April 7th.
