NIGHTSTREAM 2020: An Unquiet Grave
NIGHTSTREAMThere’s much to respect about what An Unquiet Grave attempts, and sometimes succeeds, to do. Director Terence Krey, along with co-writer Christine Nyland (who also stars), craft a twisty one-man, one-woman story that is certainly admirable. Jacob A. Ware and Christine Nyland are the aforementioned duo – Ware plays Jamie, a grief stricken husband who lost his wife, Julia (Nyland) in a car accident a year ago. Along with her twin sister Ava (also Nyland), Jamie attempts a ritual to bring his wife back from the dead.
Both Ware and Nyland are good in their roles and the lack of other cast isn’t noticed, although there are hints and ties to other people that help to expand the world – a man who resurrected his son through the same ritual, a drunk mother-in-law at a wedding reception. They also have great chemistry, the difference in Ava’s relationship to Julia’s is obvious and clearly heightened through Nyland’s separate performances.
An Unquiet Grave works best when it’s going through the motions of the ritual. It’s not particularly obvious what the risks of resurrecting the dead are until Ava and Jamie are stranded out in the woods late at night. Upon Julia’s return, the intensity and threat lessen and the film stumbles into domestic, soap opera territory, albeit one with a supernatural twist. It’s here in the script that Krey and Nyland lose the intrigue they had picked up on so early in the feature. What should be the more emotionally complex moments of the film fall relatively slump and it’s only the interest of the first half that keeps up any momentum.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why An Unquiet Grave starts to slow and it’s a real shame, although it’s most likely the change of pace. At a crisp 75 minutes, it shouldn’t have to be this way, but going from a super-naturalistic resurrection to a ‘getting to know you’ drama inside of a cushy household does have some sort of toll.
Beyond this, Ware does show he is competent behind the camera. With help from his cinematographer, Daniel Fox, An Unquiet Grave is truly one of the more beautifully shot horror films of the year. The majority of the film takes place at night or in the dark and it’s almost taken for granted that everything can be seen, looking crisp.
An intriguing premise and two decent performances fall prey to a script that ultimately falls short.