DEAD MARY - THE HALLOWEEN HORRORS COLLECTION

By Guest Reviewer The Creepy Concierge 

So, you know the story, right? No? Well, it goes something like this… stand in front of a mirror with a candle and say ‘Bloody Mary’ three times and the lady herself will appear. The bit they don’t tell you is that a) she’s a fairly ill-tempered witch and b) she will wreak bloody havoc upon all who summon her. If you’re expecting a beat-by-beat retelling of the Bloody Mary legend you might need to look somewhere else, but if it’s a slow burn cabin-in-the-woods genre grind you fancy DEAD MARY (2007), directed by Robert Wilson (Haunted Case Files), might be for you. 

A fetching Dominique Swain (Lolita) finds herself on a cabin-in-the-woods vacation with a group of friends who are gradually mentally unravelling and at the mercy of a dead witch (not the Blair one) with a penchant for possession. Thunder, rain and terror, sort of, ensue as the wheels come off and it becomes apparent that no one can be trusted and everyone might not be who they say they are or appear to be.

Paranoia raises its ugly head and there are some nice ‘Is she possessed? Isn’t she possessed?’ moments but a lot of the tension and energy built up, as things fall apart, dissipates when another long, actually very long, dialogue scene shows up to flatten the tension. It’s not all bad news. The sense of isolation is palpable and there are moments when this reviewer felt the feels that the characters were feeling. The film in some ways feels like a full-length re-enactment of the ‘blood test’ scene from Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ but without the walking spider ‘head’ and a lot more dialogue. And then more dialogue. And then some more…. well, you get the point.

Swain is compelling and easy to watch and the rest of the cast largely hold their own given what they have to work with, which, for this viewer, wasn’t quite enough. They try their level best to put some meat on the bones of the slim premise but there’s only so far they can go with so few story beats to play with. 

The film does look nice. Cinematography is gritty enough for you to feel the film stock rubbing the top layer off your retina. Sound too has its moments and the production design and practical effects all serve the story well with grimy authenticity. And yes, it does have the classic mirror and candle scene to serve as a warning to us all against meddling with the dark arts, and witches generally, for a bit of a giggle. 

Masterpiece of macabre cinematic theatre? Not really but if you’ve got an ‘isolated cabin’ movie itch that needs a witchy scratch then you might find it hits the spot. Don’t expect too much and Dead Mary might surprise you, but if the power goes out while you’re watching it, and you’re tempted to light a candle, don’t stray too close to the mirror. And definitely, definitely, don’t say her name three times.

DEAD MARY is available now on W4FREE  - Watch for free here DEAD MARY