‘Oddity’ review: Dir. Damian Mc Carthy (2024)

In 2020, during the lockdowns, Damian Mc Carthy’s Caveat screened as part of FrightFest’s virtual festival. Despite the home viewing setting, the film managed to unnerve and disturb all who took a chance on it. After its debut, Caveat was snapped up by genre streaming giant, Shudder, where it spooked a new audience. Since then, word of mouth has steadily built around the film, with many complaining of sleepless nights after viewing. Given Caveat’s terrifying reputation, horror fans have been waiting with baited breath for Mc Carthy’s follow-up, Oddity. 

Those who found Caveat so unsettling will be either thrilled or dismayed to know that Oddity feels very much like a companion piece. Once again the story takes place in an isolated setting, this time a rural house several miles from the city forms the primary location, with an ancient looking stone walled asylum being the secondary one. The story begins as Dani (Carolyn Bracken) is hard at work on home renovations. Her husband, psychiatrist Ted (Gwilym Lee), works nights, leaving Dani all alone in the big house. One night a stranger comes calling and the next morning, Dani is dead. Although the viewer is spared the death sequence itself, they are privy to Dani’s encounter with the creepy visitor. The scene is played exceptionally well and Mc Carthy’s trademark tension is quickly back on display. 

Oddity then properly picks up a year after Dani’s death and follows her psychically gifted twin, Darcy (also played by Bracken). As she visits her sister’s former home, Darcy finds her brother-in-law living with another woman, Yana (Caroline Menton), and startles the pair with the gift of a wooden mannequin. As the night wears on, Darcy begins to reveal the extent of her gifts as she desperately tries to solve the truth behind her sister’s demise. There is something inherently Hitchcockian about the plot of Oddity, and Mc Carthy’s tortuous tale of paranoia is a fantastic modern day equivalent. Its embrace of the old world extends to the crumbly building settings, as well as the characters’ costumes and affectations. Darcy for example, does not feel of this time. 

As in Caveat, the structure that surrounds the characters is as much a part of the story as the mystery of Dani’s death. Mc Carthy is clearly fascinated with architecture and his find here enriches what was a modest film budget. The building instantly adds atmosphere and spooky vibes, but Mc Carthy is not content to rest on this alone. At every opportunity, Mc Carthy stuffs in some nightmare fuel, whether it be the haunted looking wooden mannequin, or the chilling story of a ghostly bellboy. This is a writer and director that knows how to play with the audience’s nerves. 

In a sea of jump scare heavy films, Oddity remains adrift, relying almost entirely on a disquieting mood to fully unsettle its viewers. There is however, one jump scare to be found that is so expertly crafted that the viewer will not see it coming. This is not a Blumhouse ghost story that heavily signposts its scares, this instead invades the screen so unexpectedly that it is certain to rival the creature reveal in The Descent in the years to come. 

Although different stories, settings, and characters, there is direct connective tissue to Caveat in the form of that cursed rabbit. Although not strictly part of Caveat’s plot, that rabbit toy has haunted the dreams of those that have watched the film, and Mc Carthy includes it here again, just to ensure those restless nights continue. Its inclusion is clever and opens up the idea that both films exist within the same universe, whilst showcasing several other creations that could form the basis of a future Mc Cathy story. 

Considering how well received Caveat was, Mc Carthy could have easily been chewed up into the Hollywood machine. That he has remained true to his voice is a relief, as talents like this should not be wasted on paint-by-numbers genre offerings. Oddity cements the idea presented with Caveat that Mc Carthy was an interesting talent to follow. His work here is a step up from Caveat, everything that worked about his former film is distilled into Oddity, just in strange new ways. The production design and setting is to die for, and the ease at which Mc Carthy can raise the viewer’s heart rate is nothing short of sorcery. Oddity might just be one of the best feature debut follow-ups of modern times, and will almost certainly have you sleeping with the light on. 

Oddity is released in cinemas across the US from 19th July.