Review: Shudder Original ‘Z’ is Formulaic Success

The Shudder Original film Z takes the shape of the ultimate letter, dragging you downward to the left when you want to go right. Once you conform to the movement, you’re pulled the other way again. It starts out innocently enough. Josh (Jett Klyne) is a perfectly normal eight-year-old boy who plays with all the stereotypical toys boys play with; trains, action figures, army men, puzzles. We don’t need the score to inform us this kid is bad news. Nevertheless, the happy opening music takes a turn as the boy intentionally crashes his train. All boys do this, but we’re lead to believe there’s something insidious within him from the very beginning. Before the opening credits have expired, his mother, Beth, played by Keegan Connor Tracy (Bates Motel, Final Destination 2) shows immediate concern when she hears her son conversing with someone who’s not there during his solitary playtime. At first, the concern seems unwarranted. All kids do this. That’s where Z puts you on a line of thinking that will only have you gobbling up the red herrings swimming throughout the film.

Z is Josh’s imaginary friend, but there’s more to the mystery character. In typical troubled child in horror movie fashion, we sort of expect that, but the obvious dangles itself as a lure to keep you from knowing the truth. We’re introduced to a child psychiatrist early on, and it’s clear from his introduction that he plays an important role in unraveling the mystery of Z.

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Beth, realizing Josh needs more socializing with other children, attempts to set up a play date. She finds out through consistent rejection that her son has a reputation she was completely unaware of. It’s also apparent that she absolutely should be aware of what he’s experiencing, especially when she gets a glimpse of her son’s friend. Things go wrong when Josh is playing with other children, and it seems innocent until you see him reenacting a recent tragedy with his action figures. He plays it out with a fervor that tells us he’s either not phased or that it’s all fictional in his mind. It becomes an intensely creepy scene when he realizes his mother is watching him play. His reaction is a classically innocent pull quote that should be repeated for years with the face young Jett Klyne makes. “Hi, mommy. Wanna play?” Jett Klyne knows exactly how to play his character.

When Beth and her sister take inventory of their recently deceased mother’s belongings, the unfolding of the mystery changes pace. The way it plays out is arguably formulaic with few mistakes, but it could have used a little more to set this story apart. There are enough nods to technology and how it contributes to memory to have turned Z into a long episode of Black Mirror. It drags at times, but the hooks and reveals make it worth watching. You’ll feel like you’ve seen this all before, but hang on. Aside from a few unnecessary jump scares, there’s less horror than tragic creepiness to the story. Overall, it’s a lawful good success in story telling that could have been chaotic neutral with a little fine-tuning.

The very end is only slightly confusing, leaving a little up for interpretation. Decide on your own what type of story Z is telling. It’s never spelled out completely, but that kind of loose ending can provoke enough conversation to inspire you to watch it twice. “It’s happening again.”

Z released on VOD, digital HD, DVD, and Blu-ray on September 1, 2020, check out the Shudder original directed by Brandon Christensen, co-written with Colin Minihan.

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