The Manor is a 2021 American horror film about an elderly woman who believes an evil force is killing the residents in her nursing home.
The movie is part of the ‘Welcome to the Blumhouse‘ series of four horror films that will be shown on Amazon Prime in October 2021, the others being Bingo Hell; Black as Night and Madres.
Written and directed by Axelle Carolyn (American Horror Story series; Creepshow series; The Haunting of Bly Manor series; Tales of Halloween segment ‘Grim Grinning Ghost’; Soulmate).
Executive produced by Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Lisa Bruce, Sandy King and Richard J Bosner.
The Blumhouse TV-Amazon Studios co-production stars Barbara Hershey (Insidious; The Entity), Bruce Davison (We Still Say Grace; Abnormal Attraction; Itsy Bitsy; Along Came the Devil and sequel; Willard), Nicholas Alexander (Down’s Revenge), Jill Larsen, Fran Bennett and Katie Amanda Keane,
Plot:
When a mild stroke diminishes her ability to care for herself, Judith Albright (Barbara Hershey) moves to Golden Sun Manor, an assisted living facility with a sterling reputation.
But despite the best efforts of the staff, and a budding friendship with fellow senior Roland (Bruce Davidson), strange occurrences and nightmarish visions convince Judith that a sinister presence is haunting the massive estate.
As residents begin to die mysteriously, Judith’s frantic warnings are dismissed as fantasy. Even her devoted grandson Josh (Nicholas Alexander) thinks her fears are the result of dementia, not demons.
With no one willing to believe her, Judith must either escape the confines of the manor or fall victim to the evil that dwells within it.
Reviews:
” …Hershey consistently conveys endearing warmth and wise awareness to keep the movie’s momentum steady even when patient pacing hits ruts in the mud. As expectedly excellent as she is, scene, after scene of Hershey flinching at shadows and crying wolf to deaf ears, does get redundant. Fortunately, the film only runs 80 minutes, which includes credits, so slow spots don’t have leashes long enough to drag extraordinarily far.” Culture Crypt
“Aside from three-dimensional characters, I was also impressed with the film’s sharp commentary on the way we, as a society, worship youth and fear getting older. That’s not a subject I can recall a staggering number of horror films tackling but given that the horror genre is a safe place for us to face our fears, I think it’s something more scary flicks should tackle.” Dread Central
“The Manor has a bit of a daft story to it, but Ms Hershey is superb in this. It’s silly but entertaining.” DVD Fever
“The Manor plays out like a simplified version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with an eerily serene, Ratched-like overseer and staff questioning rebel Judith’s sanity. Director Axelle Carolyn maintains a pleasingly teasing rhythm so it’s a pity that, as the sprightly nursing-home gothic fun winds up, it descends into Scooby Dooish over-explication.” The Guardian
“My only real issue with The Manor was that it felt too long. For the first half, I was completely on board though. Also, I did enjoy the ending, so it won on that parameter as well […] For me, this horror movie worked because it touched on some of my greatest fears […] the idea of losing your right to be yourself and being treated like a child. Barbara Hershey did a great job at portraying this!” Heaven of Horror
“Barbara Hershey is fantastic as Judith, and I was rooting for her to overcome her struggles the entire time. The ending seems completely out of left field, but it represents the excellent risk-taking technique of Blumhouse as its finest […] Once the reality of Judith’s hellish scenario is fully revealed, it is well worth the wait.” Josh at the Movies
“The Manor is kind of a little silly but entertaining nonetheless. I mean it does make you wonder what would happen in case you lose your marbles after a certain age! I also love all the jump scares in the middle of the night that psychological thrillers are usually famous for – freaky but entertaining.” Leisure Byte
“Despite some flat cinematography and borderline goofy special effects, The Manor gives us a distinctive 70-year-old woman as its protagonist and a twisty ending sure to polarize. It and Madres are both a bit half-baked, but their foundations are inventive enough to distract from some sloppy construction.” The New York Times
” …an enjoyably lightweight bit of genre viewing with some fun performances by the veteran cast and is better than most of what Carolyn’s ex-husband Neil Marshall has been putting out lately. The Manor will keep you entertained, and maybe give you something to think about, but you probably won’t remember it by year’s end. Even if you don’t have Alzheimer’s.” Voices from the Balcony
Release:
The Manor will be available for streaming via Amazon Prime on October 8, 2021.
Cast and characters:
Barbara Hershey … Judith
Bruce Davison … Roland
Nicholas Alexander … Josh
Jill Larson … Trish
Fran Bennett … Ruth
Katie A. Keane … Barbara (as Katie Amanda Keane)
Ciera Payton … Liesel
Nancy Linehan Charles … Annette
Shelley Robertson … Elizabeth
Stacey Travis … Ms. Benson
Devin Kawaoka … Gary
Cissy Wellman … Imogen
Robert Rusler … George
Andrew Tinpo Lee … Doctor Geoghegan
Jessica Lee Keller … Young Judith
Belle Adams … Young Trish
Jaquita Ta’le … Young Ruth
Michele Hart … Judith Older Ballet Dancer
Mark Steger … Minion
Technical details:
81 minutes
Teaser:
Trailer:
