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THE BANISHING - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: RLJE Films / Shudder

SYNOPSIS: In 1930’s England Minster Linus, his wife Marianne and their daughter Adelaide move to a new town where Linus has been appointed as the new reverend. Their new home has been vacant for three years after the disappearance of the previous reverend’s family. As they begin to settle in, strange events start to occur. They hear ghostly voices, dark figures dressed as monks leak in the shadows, mysterious totems appear and Adelaide’s behaviour becomes stranger by the day. It becomes evident that a malicious entity seeks to possess Adelaide and that the Church is hiding a terrible secret. As the entity grows stronger, Marianne enlists the help of Harry Reed, a famous Occultist. Together, they uncover the terrifying truth about the house and the paranormal force that inhabits it in hopes that it isn’t already too late for Adelaide.

REVIEW: I’m a sucker for a solid British ghost/haunting story and THE BANISHING is such by many standards.

First off it has an excellent director, Christopher Smith. Smith was at the helm of such memorable films as “Creep,” “Severance” and “Black Death,” in addition to numerous television credits. I love what he does here. There is a stark realism to the film that he juxtaposes with the shadows and darkness of the house. He adds a nightmarish quality through surreal sequences as Marianne Forster and her daughter, Adelaide, encounter and fall under the spell of the presence. He does not let the film become dream-like or feel like a fairy tale and I believe that is in part due to the horrific reality of what transpired there.

THE BANISHING has a great cast. Actress Jessica Brown Findlay, who appeared on such television shows as “Downton Abbey,” “Black Mirror” and voiced Lenore in the animated series “Castlevania.” Actor Sean Harris, who plays the Occultist Harry Reed, you’ll recognize from his many roles, including “Prometheus,” “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation,” “Mission: Impossible - Fallout” and recently “The Green Knight.” Another veteran actor of the screen and television, the part of Bishop Malachi is played by John Lynch and has appeared in “Black Death,” “Alien Hunter” and Richard Stanley’s “Hardware.” In addition to the big and small screen such as “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell,” actor John Heffernan has lent his voice to video games like “Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers” and “Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward.” Needless to say, a well season and talented cast that deliver excellent performances.

In addition to the locations, costumes, productions designs, and effects that make this a compelling and creepy tale of a mother with a dark secret who is trying to save her daughter from an evil entity, is a fantastic score by the group Toydrum. I first encountered the work of Pablo Clements and James Griffith in one of my favorite genre bending films, 2016’s “Prevenge.” If you have not seen it I highly recommend it for numerous reasons. I love the score they provided on the limited series “Two Weeks To Live,” and once again they come up with a great score for THE BANISHING that adds so much to multiple[le elements of the film.

The story is based on an actual story (I prefer over saying “true events”) that transpired in one of England’s most haunted houses. It’s similar to “Poltergeist” in the aspect of the mother and daughter bond, but it comes from a more tragic place that is a result of the period the film is set in. I appreciated that it wasn’t the Catholic Church once again up to no good, a one of the removed offshoots motivated by social and political views from that time in history. There are Nazis in the film. However, the reason for why they are after is never fully revealed. We’ve all heard stories of the SS and Hitler going after religious relics or supernatural artifacts, but it is never made clear why they want what they are after here. I found it a compelling, creepy and a somewhat emotionally engaging film.

THE BANISHING is a slightly edgy supernatural period piece. If you enjoy British television and British ghost stories this is your film. RLJE Films / Shudder have been offering viewers a solid selection of international genre films that have high production values and wonderful casts, and THE BANISHING is yet another. When you think of some of the more bizarre genre films that the A24 studio has released, THE BANISHING is a film that steps up to the line, but does not cross over. It gives the film a broader appeal that can be viewed by a wider age range. A solid genre film that was an enjoyable view.

CAST: Jessica Brown Findlay, John Heffernan, Anya McKenna-Bruce, Sean Harris and John Lynch. CREW: Director - Christopher Smith; Screenplay - David Beton, Ray Bogdanovich and Dean Lines; Producers - Maya Amsellem, Laurie Cook, Sharon Harel and Jason Newmark; Cinematographer - Sarah Cunningham; Score - Toydrum; Editor - Richard Smither; Production Designer - Chris Richmond; Costume Designer - Lance Milligan; Special Effects Supervisor - Steven Langfield; Visual Effects Supervisor - Jelmen Palsterman OFFICIAL: westendfilms.com/programme/the-banishing FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/The-Banishing-100297768845971/ TWITTER: twitter.com/tbanishing TRAILER: https://youtu.be/LWL5wdPA1Y8 RELEASE DATE: November 2nd, 2021,On Demand, Digital, DVD & Blu-ray.

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

#film review #movie review #the banishing #thebanishingmovie #rlje films #shudder #christopher smith #jessica brown findlay #john heffernan #sean harris #john lynch #horror #haunting #supernatural #british #period piece #joseph mauceri #joseph b mauceri

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