Being a fan of both horror and science fiction, I find the occasional clash of these two genres often leads to interesting stories. That was what I felt after the credits rolled for The Return. This haunted house/time travel vehicle, directed by BJ Verot and co-written by Verot and Ken Janssens, has a lot of potential to be something super great. Sadly, it dipped below the strike zone.
I don’t mean to suggest this is a bad movie or concept. There were just some limitations that held it back from reaching the integral peak it was reaching for.
The premise is smart because it layers a blanket of common horror movie tropes on top of a bed of misdirection. Rodger (Richard Harmon) is a gifted college student and the son of brilliant parents who comes home after his father passes away to sort out the family affairs. He is accompanied by his girlfriend Beth (Sara Thompson) and his best friend Jordan (Echo Andersson). They stay in Rodger’s parents’ home, which is full of dusty boxes and secrets.
I won’t go too deep into details about the plot and the mechanisms from within for a couple of reasons. First, the experience of The Return should be organic. But also, to spoil the ending would be virtually impossible without knowing how the plot would lead you there. Suffice it to say, Rodger and his company work to unravel the mystery of how his father actually died, what happened to his mother during his childhood, as well as his sister.
While Rodger goes off to play detective, he corners his past via his childhood therapist, Dr. Cox (character actor Marina Stephenson Kerr). She is the only character we meet who truly pushes the plot forward for Rodger. She’s not so much an antagonist as a stepping stone on Rodger’s quest.
The blend of mystery and sleuthing gives the first two-thirds of The Return a fun noir-esque shade juxtaposed by the haunted house elements. We do see a ghostly figure that appears in the house and eventually receive a pay-off for this apparition, which looks very well done. Other ominous figures and set pieces are introduced, which unfortunately don’t have any pay-off or closure. But I am getting ahead of myself.
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Rodger slowly lifts the fog on the mystery he is trying to solve while a frustrated Beth bows out, leaving Jordan to pick up the pieces. This pseudo-love triangle was telegraphed at the very beginning of the film. The best-friend-in-love-with-you plot point was thankfully the only truly boring trope the writers snuck in.
Unfortunately, I didn’t care about it as much as I was probably supposed to. Overall, neither Beth nor Jordan is given much to do besides listen to and react to Rodger’s deductions.
The last thirty minutes of The Return shifted its tone towards the sci-fi realm. This part I truly enjoyed. Gone were the gloomy horror and shadowy detective work. In its place were all the trappings of a fun sci-fi adventure: chalkboard equations, gadgets, and geeky dialogue about time intervals. It was delightful. I definitely received strong Ghostbusters vibes towards the end with a dash of Quantum Leap. Rodger’s journey to discover his truth has dire consequences, and I had a lot of fun seeing him wrangle with the quite brilliant denouement.
About a year ago, I saw Ghosts of War, another sci-fi film masquerading as horror. That film also attempted to scare and then test us. If the blurring of genres is your cup of tea, I can say confidently that The Return is the stronger of the two. Ghosts of War was messy, while The Return keeps itself dialed in just enough, exploding when it needs to.
Walking back to the criticism from earlier, I feel that if The Return had been a quick mini-series or perhaps a two-hour movie, its landing would have been better. Some plot points either do not go anywhere or do not pay off. When you muddy the waters with genres, the more context, the better. Regarding quality and range, the acting level was a bit over the place. But the chemistry between best friends Rodger and Jordan was undeniable. I bought in that they truly cared for each other.
I applaud BJ Verot and his crew for taking a risk in telling a story that, while not particularly ground-breaking, was at the least original. It fell short in some areas but shined through in other spots. A handful of contrivances keep The Return from striking a direct hit. But it still has its fun moments for those looking for something fresh.
The Return is now available On Demand and Digital via Uncork’d Entertainment.
What actually happened in the end of the movie?