Let Her Out review: A worthwhile effort, though an uneasy watch.
Let Her Out review by Luke Ryan Baldock, August 2016.
Let Her Out review
Let Her Out joins a long list of horror films where an interesting condition, in this case vanishing twin syndrome, has been given a horror twist. Vanishing twin syndrome is when a miscarriage occurs early on with one twin, and partially developed foetal tissue is absorbed by the surviving twin. It’s one of those bizarre moments in nature that perfectly plays on our fear. It’s a bit creepy thinking about a sibling that never was being absorbed by yourself, and here it also plays for a psychological thriller that deals with how we become who we are.
23 years ago Helen’s (Allana LeVierge), a prostitute, was raped resulting in a pregnancy. Helen’s mom killed herself attempting to abort her children, not knowing there were twins and she only killed one. Helen finds herself having blackouts and waking up in strange places, when a CT scan reveals she has part of her vanished twin in her brain, causing pressure. As she waits three days for surgery to remove her twin, she begins to wake with suggestions that in the night she has committed acts of violence. Is it her twin trying to take over, or is it her own mental health that is causing these occurrences?
Let Her Out review
Carrying the film, LeVierge’s performance is strong throughout. She is tasked with changing her personality, and remaining strong while she fights an enemy she can seemingly do nothing about. It’s challenging, and makes Helen a protagonist worth rooting for, something many horror films don’t bother with these days as they’d rather churn out a stream of victims. It’s the psychological aspects of this film that are the scariest, and we’re not usually shown the horrific acts that happen when Helen is not in control. It keeps the audience as worried as the protagonist, rather than giving us too much information.
The dark aesthetic also gives the film a murky feel that matches Helen’s confused mental state. It means that flashbacks and dream sequences can meld seamlessly with the overall story, while it also helps to blend the make-up and special effects without appearing like an amateur production. Jeff Maher’s cinematography is a perfect film for its budget, themes, and story. Often cinematography is an afterthought in horror, hoping cheap shocks is what the audience come for, but Let Her Out proves it is a much more needed tool.
Let Her Out review
There are limitations to the effectiveness of the film however. The music is fairly generic, with no real character or use. Even when incorporated into jump scares it fails to impress. Helen’s relationships with other characters are also not explored enough, giving us little information on who she is before the events of the film, we’re told she’s acting out of character, but the lack of interaction with others doesn’t serve to show us this. Even her best friend Molly (Nina Kiri), doesn’t seem close enough to Helen, leading to them calling each other sister just to make sure we understand how close they are. Thankfully it’s mostly a satisfying thought piece that takes risks and succeeds.
Let Her Out review by Luke Ryan Baldock, August 2016.
Let Her Out forms part of this year’s Frightfest programme.
