okay...the plot summary above is weirdly off on the plot points and unhelpful. The PR copy on the DVD compares this film to both "Wickerman" and "Let's scare Jessica to Death". I thought 'how is that possible?'...Guess what? . . This film is a wonderful, strange mash-up of just EXACTLY those sorts of things! The acting is truly good, especially for such a low budget effort. The photography is very nice, and the stylistic and editing choices are nearly brilliant. The gore is very low key and contained but the creeping dread and superb building of suspense make it all the more shocking when it happens. The story is about a young woman and two men in a strange (but all too believable triangle relationship) who are drawn to an isolated tidal island--hence no one being able to leave while the tide is in. The group comes seeking to meet the woman's long-lost sister who appears to be part of strange religious community that dominates the island. Sexual ambiguity and the woman's new pregnancy bring extraordinary tension into the fragile 3- way. While on the island the sinister cult community becomes more and more menacing. From here the movies goes from merely 'moody' to terrifyingly CRAZY so simply and so deftly you just have to see it. In all... a stunning and beautiful effort in small/independent film making and a great little horror-movie.
Review of Unhappy Birthday
