WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Reeling from anguish. We often find that in times of overt pain and distress, our tendency is to find ways to cope via less than healthy means, which only causes further encounters with despair and its originating circumstances. Even when knowing that what we think is healing us is actually damaging us more, what happens when it’s then discovered that everything we believed was happening may not have been what it seems? It is such a juncture that teenager Clara (Ava Psoras) finds herself immersed in as both she and her younger sister Cassandra (Alexa Mechling) have been staggered by heartbreak involving their beloved mother Emily (Betsy Lynn George).
Trying to find any means to cope with the situation, it has not helped that the grieved siblings share an equally less-then-amicable relationship with their father Victor (Joe Fishel), whose attempts at being present for his two daughters during a trying time has not gone smoothly. However, events take any even stranger turn when another unforeseen occurrence comes about that truly sends Clara over the edge, to the point where she becomes deeply troubled and harried by seemingly uncanny happenings that begin taxing her already fractured state of being. Making efforts to understand what it all means while grasping desperately to fonder memories of better times with Cassandra, dark twists come into focus that show what can happen when one person’s grief can take decidedly deadly turns.
Next, my Mind:
From the start, it was made clear that this 20-minute indie short film effort from writer/director/executive producer/cinematographer/editor Don Swanson was in reality only the beginnings, a proof of concept really, for a feature project by the same title expected in 2020, and truthfully, the film carries itself as such. For this critic, what I witnessed was a narrative that has much potential for greatness, but initially fell a little short for me in the creepiness/scares category for something being considered part of the horror genre. There were solid elements here that cover the intended dramatic and thriller facets, character development/interaction, and purposeful holes left in certain ways to warrant future treatment, but again, with the supernatural bend that makes up the underlying thematic direction, I know I need something a little more ominous and chill-inducing, which could very well manifest full force once we have a chance to see the feature length version still to come.
Yes, there are those scenes that are supposed to invoke that sense of dread and make the skin crawl, but I felt it needs just that one more level of sinister-ness and execution to have the desired impact. Despite the lack of that overt eeriness I hoped for, there’s no denying the grander story about one young girl’s journey through loss, depression, anger, consequences of torn relationships, protectiveness of family, the bonds of sisterhood, and the ramifications of it all on her and those around her makes for exceptional cinema, and the film’s necessary briskness in pacing carries it along with enough tangible positives to keep the viewer engaged, topped off with one whopper of a twist that solidified the worthiness of the tale being weaved which had much more to reveal than we get to see here. The horror genre in any of its forms is such commonplace in mainstream and independent realms these days that let’s face it, it is monumentally difficult to be wholly original and engaging. But, as stated above, I believe this film has promise without question, and little tweaks to things will bring it along quite nicely.
From the overall production angle, the film for me looked very professionally handled, with the cinematography presented with total fluidity, no shakiness, and with attention to how the characters are embraced by the lens as it follows the unfolding story. Mark D’Errico’s background music score accompanies the action suitably as well, and the theme music behind the closing credits very much reminds me, in a good way mind you, of many a horror film and that lingering sense of spookiness you want the viewer to have even after the images have faded. I was given the opportunity to screen a rough cut of a scene being filmed for the feature version, which features a sequence in a bar involving primary characters as well as a beautifully haunting musical performance from singer Mia Zanotti, wonderfully executed as a whole, and adding certain small details to the bigger story involved which I won’t divulge here. It certainly makes me anticipate the feature version next year that much more.
Watching young actors playing angsty teens can be a slippery slope, since often it can all go just a bit to far to the extreme in the attempts to convey trepidation without being too melodramatic via overacting it, but here to start, Psoras wisely reins it in and delivers a solid performance in her role as Clara, the eldest daughter in a family rocked by unsettled days, who is simply wanting to find a renewed feeling of equilibrium with her younger sister whom she is highly protective of during the emotionally-charged upheavals they’re going through. Yet, even as we see the means by which Clara chooses to face the drama, it soon becomes apparent that what we think she’s actually dealing with may not entitle as much empathy as we might believe. As her decent into further anxiety and upended mindset continues to grow, the reveal of circumstances casts a whole new light on things, and throughout, Psoras does a fantastic job at not giving anything away until the perfectly timed moments when it makes best impact.
Likewise, Mechling emotes well and transports us into the life of a younger sibling looking to her big sister for guidance and comfort during a highly stressful time as Cassandra, whose still somewhat inexperienced, longing to be free mentality towards life could potentially get her into trouble. Yet, even as she navigates her way through the tough times she is experiencing, it remains evident her love for Clara is powerful and their tie strong, even when being annoyed with Clara’s interferences at key moments when Casandra feels she had everything in control. But, Cassandra’s part to play in the larger story soon becomes apparent, and actually adds to one of the more shocking turns in the pair’s path through anguish that puts the love she bears for Clara into question, with the final results of the occurrences as a hint of what could become her answer to right a grievous wrong. Overall, Mechling provides a more understated but no less important and potent presence to the events with poise and passion.
Supporting turns in the film are many, including George as the daughter’s mother Emily, who acts as a primary catalyst for everything else that begins to take place after the film’s initial sequences, Fishel as the girl’s father Victor, who seems to be more a source of questionable personal choices, mass frustration, and anger for them rather than a much needed comfort and voice of reason, Jace Armentrout as Jason, a young man with whom Cassandra becomes enamored with and perhaps Clara jealous of, and Linda Maroni as the enigmatic Aunt Estelle who seems to carry secrets about the family legacy. Additional turns come from Robert Alcorn, Rosie Koster, Kathy Ciesielski, Keith Otto, and Myla Swanson among a host of others, who you can check out here. In total, “Occurrence At Mills Creek” stands to make this initial strike with enough impact to draw you into its slowly unfolding yarn that spans drama, thriller, and horror to ultimately create what should be a decidedly unsettling look into the aftermath of pain, the repercussions of desperate decisions, and the realizations that those actions can have quite frightening response from otherworldly origins.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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