NIGHTSTREAM 2020: Anything For Jackson
nightstream 2020Up to this point in his career, Justin G. Dyck has established himself as a light hearted and innocent filmmaker filling his filmography to the brim with Christmas love stories and children comedies. In his newest feature, Anything For Jackson, which is streaming as part of the Nightstream Film Festival, however, Dyck pushes outside of his comfort zone, giving a demonic horror film that stands out as a strong genre outing with engaging mythos and captivating performances.
In an era of horror where keeping the monsters hidden in the dark and causing the audience to question their very existence is very much in, it can not be expressed how refreshing it is to see a film which embraces its mythology and horror so openly. Following a older couple who hope to perform a special satanic ritual which will bring their late grandson back to the dead and requires them to kidnap a pregnant woman to perform various horrific acts in order to put their late grandson into her, the film easily could have held back and questioned if the rituals actually held weight or were ultimately empty acts, but Anything For Jackson doesn't hesitate to squash any debate such as this. The film immediately establishes this mythos and power to be true and finds its drama within the process of these rituals, which have haunting effects on all parties involved. The feature is able to unabashedly play in a space filled with demons and possession, never having to hold itself back. It genuinely feels like anything could happen at any moment – which is equally fun as it is terrifying.
Whilst the vast majority of Anything For Jackson is a balls to the wall horror film with crazy twists and turns, it also carries an emotional backbone that gives the feature weight. At its heart is a couple grieving the death of their young grandson and they are desperate to bring the child back to life. Horror has always opened the door for genuine emotional depth and Anything For Jackson is a prime example of how these two genres and feelings can come together into a coherent feature bettering each other. One of the leading factors to the emotions of the film hitting as effectively as they do are the leading performances from Sheila McCarthy and Julian Richings. These two performances are the perfect blend of over the top kind and quietly evil that bring their characters to life. The moral questions behind these two characters is not an easy conversation. Whilst their actions are deplorable, ultimately it doesn't take much for audiences to understand and empathise even with the darkest parts of their identity, which is a trait of the best villains in film.
If there is one issue with the film, it simply is that it goes too far at times in building drama and crazy dark visuals. With countless visuals of events like suicide and graphic gore, these scenes lose their impact by the end of the film and it does feel like, in some regards, the film would have benefited from holding back just a bit. There also are a few side plots, such as an investigation by the police regarding the woman that the couple kidnaps that ultimately doesn't lead to much and easily could have been cut to help the film feel more precise and clean.
Still, especially for a director that is making his debut in the genre, Anything For Jackson is quite an impressive outing. The film is able to achieve both emotional depth and terrifying horror in a unique matter that doesn't feel like just another genre film. It feels unique and bold, taking risks and having the craft to pull them off.
