Review: THE WRETCHED

Ben goes to live with his dad while the divorce is panning out. His left arm is in a cast from a mishap and he isn't much of a fan of his circumstances but he gets a job at the family business which is not taxing so he can't really complain. Meanwhile the young rednecks next door get a special visit from the local witch of the woods and the woman turns from lumbering young parent to a forbidding siren like horror who leaves flowers wilted in her wake. Children, including her own, begin to disappear. Ben sees this and has to act but first he has to be right about it.

It's the complications that make this supernatural gaslighting tale nudge a little over the mass of off the shelf supernatural tales cramming the horror section of the VoD services. The people next door are being taken over by the witch but they also know how to appear normal when needed. Ben's broken wrist came from an impulsive theft and escape attempt so he has a history as a troubled teen which diminishes his credibility as a witness to atrocity. The more he has to report and investigate the more he has to trust an increasingly hostile field.

John-Paul Howard in the central role gives us a relatable teenager. Bright enough to understand the signs of foul play but sexually eager enough to miss sight of a trick being played on him and philosophy enough for us to see how much of a sport he is about it. This is important as while the film as a whole progresses without a great deal to offer beyond a standard genre outing without the warmth of this character we'd probably just hit pause and get back to it some time down the track if at all.

But while the stakes could be higher and the tension tighter The Wretched turns out to be a perfectly fine genre outing that will engage both the genre vets and casual tourists. Even the sequel wink at the end has just enough cleverness to it that we might not even mind if there is another one. As well there might be given the purpose-built evil figure that is flat enough to be malleable for future outings with minds as or more creative than here. Giving the dough a little extra time to rise? You could do worse.

Hired from Apple movies.