The Manor
Amazon StudiosNursing homes in of themselves are creepy, isolated places. It is a saddening sight ripe for the picking with the great waves of ageism and separation from the real world. The Manor, from director Axelle Carolyn, looks to utilise those themes. They stick to the sterilised walls, the stresses of communal living at set times and isolated sittings at others. It is no life for a working mind, nor for those that wish to follow the slow trickle of enthusiastic releases from Blumhouse and other low-budget, high-success horror flicks. Here is another offering. A strong cast and a strong premise are neatly tied together, but The Manor has few flickers of inspiration to its horror-clad house.
An emotive drama is the core of The Manor, which enlists the talents of Barbara Hershey and Bruce Davison. These performances would be good, and the story would be calm enough if it were not for the editing. Somehow putting Bohemian Rhapsody to shame for quick-cut editing awards, The Manor cannot focus on anything because there is nothing to focus on. What, exactly, is Carolyn going to fixate on when her story is bleak and expected, and the message is clear from the very beginning? Horror should come into play here. Those tones and messages are only as strong as the horror that links it all together. Shamefully, and rather expectedly, The Manor is about as scary as the useless dreams Judith (Hershey) has at intermittent times.
Had those dreams been anything close to scary then The Manor would have a leg to stand on. It does not. Lightning strikes and awakens this hero trapped in an elderly care home. That is the layer of horror here, and the jumpscare beasts that illuminate themselves to the backdrop of some poor-quality lighting. That is not horror, it is a cop-out. The Manor is a cop-out. What it sets out to do is clear in intention and notable for tackling an issue that has, still, yet to be adapted correctly to the screen. Characters can scream and yell about the struggles they have as much as they like, it does not make it either convincing or interesting for the audience. That is the big failure Carolyn has with The Manor, it just isn’t interesting.
A shame, too, since its basis for the story and where it would like to take these characters is well defined. Where The Manor will no doubt prevail is in its articulation of setting and mood. That much is captured well. At the very least, Carolyn can cling to that and the strong pacing found within. Short enough to warrant a viewing, long enough to forget the few strong scenes, The Manor is a mixed-up nightmare filled with odd intentions and earnest meanings. They are simple and sluggish at the best of times, but the performances from Hershey and Jill Larson are strong. Holding a feature together is no small feat of endurance, but somehow these two care home residents handle it well. It’s Bubba Ho-tep for the new generation, just without the quality, Bruce Campbell, or the pertinent conversation it triggers on ageism.