‘Sometimes we are called to the darkness’
The Luring is a 2019 American horror film about a young man who tries to discover what traumatic event traumatised him as a child.
Written and directed by Christopher Wells (shorts: Liz; Cynthia), the Kaleidoscope Pictures production stars Rick Irwin (It Watches), Michaela Sprague (The Night Before), Henry Gagliardi, Molly Fahey (Knightmare), Ava-Riley Miles and Matan Barr.
Plot:
When Garrett was ten years old, he experienced a traumatic event while he was with his parents at their vacation home in Vermont. Later in life, he returns to the scene of this unforgettable experience with his girlfriend Claire to try and remember what happened to him.
As it turns out some memories are best forgotten. While there, Garrett meets an enigmatic, masked woman who may hold the key to this mystery…
Release:
The Luring was released on Digital and DVD on June 16th 2020 by Wild Eye Releasing.
Review:
The Luring is writer-director Christopher Wells’ first feature after three short films and unfortunately, his lack of experience tackling a longer narrative structure is all too apparent. After some initially creepy scenes involving kids, the plot focuses on loathsome lead character Garrett’s descent into madness which soon becomes a drawn-out affair that goes all Jack Torrance just before an hour in when he announces “I am trying to do some actual work, this isn’t some goddamned game for me.”
And as in The Shining, Garrett (Rick Irwin) becomes crueller and crueller towards his partner, in this case, the long-suffering “crafty” Claire (Michaela Sprague). Without Kubrick’s stylistic mastery (and perhaps also reflecting that director’s equally frustrating unawareness of pacing), The Luring soon becomes tedious and repetitive (frequent mentions of New York and Vermont reveal the limitations of the world view here) despite a slightly satisfactory twist. Dimly-lit night-time shots and static direction hardly help matters. Don’t be lured in by The Luring.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“The Luring was definitely one of the standout films in Panic Fest’s amazing horror showcase. It takes you on one strange ride full of secrets, forgotten memories and big characters.” 1428 Elm
“Without getting into too spoiler-y of territory, I think the film is something different that will take audiences by surprise. There’s some great performances from the leads in the film, and the edge of humor in the film really makes the movie feel like a roller-coaster.” Horror Society
” …an incredibly strong concept that unfortunately fell victim to lack of coherency in the story progression. One could argue this is how psychological thrillers are supposed to make you feel, but I ended up exiting this picture with a little too foggy a head. It felt hallow in moments, clustered in others, and ultimately concluded with too many loose ends longing to be tied.” Nightmarish Conjurings
” …nothing in The Luring makes any damn sense. I know the idea is to keep the viewer guessing what’s going on. If it’s real, hallucinated, something supernatural, etc. But things feel so disjointed and some of the events so unbelievable it’s more confusing than intriguing. By the one hour mark, all I could think of was how much better Dry Blood handled this kind of material.” Voices from the Balcony
Choice dialogue:
Claire “I can’t take this sh*t anymore!”
Cast and characters:
Michaela Sprague … Claire
Jake Katzman … Doug
Rick Irwin … Garrett Redford
Molly Fahey … Jennifer
Daniel Martin Berkey … Stranger
Henry Gagliardi … Young Garrett
Angela Rambourg … Mrs Peyton
Alex Emanuel … Mr Peyton
Jack Garrity … Mr Redford
Chelsea Reed Davis … Susan Wells
Clara McKay … Mrs Tamlin
Kristan Lyon … Mrs Juner
Gavin Maddox Bergman … William
Laura Spaeth … Mrs Redford
Ava-Riley Miles … Young Jennifer
Release:
The Luring premiered at Panic Fest in Kansas City on 26th January 2019.
Trailer:
Full film free to watch online:
