“The Turning” offers up an oft done but terrifying premise: seclusion in a gothic mansion with the supernatural lurking just beneath the surface. The film includes well-known talent like Mackenzie Davis and Finn Wolfhard, and you have the makings of a solid horror movie. And while the film has a few noteworthy elements, its overly ambitious reimagining falls flat when it comes to terror.
“The Turning” utilizes Henry James’ novella “The Turn of the Screw” for inspiration and riffs off of the now-famous horror tale that’s already been reimagined a few too many times. Director Floria Sigismondi utilizes her skills spent in the music video industry and her debut film “The Runaways” in many areas of “The Turning,” all while neglecting plot. The film begins with a news program announcing the death of “Nirvana” frontman Kurt Cobain, setting the film in an almost stereotypical ’90s era. This choice of era proves wise on part of Sigismondi because a decade before the widespread use of the internet allows for the secluded mansion and its inhabitants to live with their past hidden from the world. Kate Mandell (Mackenzie Davis) takes a job tutoring an orphan girl Flora (Brooklyn Prince) at a gothic manor years after both her parents died in a violent car accident. Upon her arrival, Kate learns that all is not as it seems, as Flora’s violent and troubled older brother Miles (Finn Wolfhard) returns from boarding school. Meanwhile, the floorboards begin to creak and things start to go bump in the night. “The Turning”’s conclusion is up to the audience’s interpretation, but the lack of build-up proves unsatisfying—the ending becomes more lazy than thought-provoking.
Photo courtesy of Bloody Disgusting
Perhaps the greatest flaw of the film is its odd pacing and abrupt ending. I was left wondering if something went wrong with the editing: the film ends without any emotional or thematic payoff that provides confusion instead of thoughtful ambiguity. “The Turning” provides few unique characters, opting instead for archetypes we’ve all seen a few too many times. Miles, the snobbish, psychopathic heir does little to command sympathy, while Kate all-too-perfectly becomes the classic damsel in distress. Viewers receive a tried-and-true formula that feels more like going through the motions instead of trying something new.
Nevertheless, for those who enjoy elements of classic haunted-house style horror, I recommend “The Turning.” While the film won’t be remembered past the next few weeks, a few well-timed jump-scares and interesting twists may be enough to satisfy lovers of the genre. The unmistakably gothic atmosphere and tone of the film is its most redeeming quality. Wide shots of the manor and the surrounding forests shrouded in mist sets a distinct feel for the movie that, unfortunately, is never quite satisfied. There are worse ways to kill a couple of hours, and watching the film in an empty theater (like I did) does the film quite a few favors where atmosphere and tone are concerned. However, to everyone else, I can’t quite see the light at the end of the tunnel. The film’s star-studded cast does well with what they are given, which as it turns out, isn’t quite enough. “The Turning” is more bewildering than genuinely terrifying: a poor remake of classic material that neither scares nor satisfies.
