The Haunting of Borley Rectory
Written Review
Hi everyone and welcome to MyIndie Review Vlog, the
show that gives you spoiler-free reviews of indie films. My name is Asaf Angel from MyIndie Productions.
Today I’ll be reviewing 2019 horror feature film The Haunting of Borley Rectory, directed by U.K indie filmmaker Steven M. Smith.
Thank you, Steven for sharing your film with us.
It is 1944. World War II is nearing its end. A wounded-in-battle American Infantry soldier, Lieutenant Robert O’Neil, portrayed by Zach Clifford, is assigned under British command.
Said to be masterfully schooled in German, Robert’s mission is to occupy a residence in Essex, England. There, with military radio equipment he is to monitor German chatter and report back to his British handler.
With the residence being in proximity to the ruins of Borley Rectory, Robert begins seeing a terrifying apparition in the form of a Nun. He tries to get the frightened and reluctant Laura, a young woman played by Kit Pascoe, who is assigned to deliver daily supplies to him, to talk about what she knows, as it came to his attention that she knows more than most in the area.
Robert also frequently encounters a young woman in his dreams, Marianne, played by Sonera Angel. Marianne is somehow connected to it all, but it eludes the young Lieutenant, so he seeks the help of a well-known mystery debunker turned believer, Harry Price, played by Rad Brown.
Harry comes predisposed with prejudice, as he takes into account that Robert is suffering from shell-shock and has developed a fondness for hard liqueur and therefore might be experiencing nothing more than the terror stemming from his own trauma.
Steven serves us a slow-burning mystery tale that has a rhythm that feels detached from reality. Slow pace and recurring flashback sequences point to deeper conflicts regarding our key characters.
The film also respects the era in a fairly diligent manner. Despite its indie status, it does a very good job in delivering 1944 Southern England onto the screen. From the art design, costumes, hairstyles, props and even dialect, it all feels to have been made with very close attention to the requirements of the time period.
Conceptually, the film feels to give homage to the 2018 box office hit, The Nun, although it focuses most if not all of its arc on Robert’s character.
The cinematography was professionally handled yet felt to be deliberately askew at times from classic scene structure, and give unusual shot-angles, somewhat reminiscent to the types of visuals one would find on shows like Mr. Robot.
The story and some visuals did feel somewhat repetitive at a certain point, as it took a bit away from the Thriller element, but it all seemed to be done purposefully, so I take into account that the director’s vision doesn’t have to be in line with my personal take.
All in all, though not free of problems, it is a fairly decent film that is said to be the first tackling the Borley Rectory story and based on true accounts. Taking everything into account, Steven did a fairly good job considering the reported budget of the film is US$50,000.
The Haunting of Borley Rectory gets a 7/10 on the Look At Me I’m a Film Critic scale!
The film is available for purchase on Amazon, on Sky Store for select territories, and on Microsoft, links at top of page. It is also announced to be released in the U.S.A in Redbox and Walmart, under the title The Haunting of Borley Mannor, on June 6th of this year!
Until next time, keep supporting indie film. Watch, share, spread the word. My name is Asaf Angel, I thank you for tuning into MyIndie Review Vlog. I’ll see you next Thursday!
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