350. Carmilla; movie review

 

 

CARMILLA

Cert 15

94 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong gory images

Would atmospheric 2020 films such as Carmilla work better on the big screen? I think so but, sadly, I will never know.

Emily Harris attempts to evoke danger and suspense through this period love story but it failed to hit the mark through our television.

However, I could recognise the considerable efforts to adapt Joseph Sheridan le Fanu's Gothic novella.

It stars Hannah Rae as Lara, a 15-year-old girl who lives in seclusion on a huge country estate with her father (Greg Wise) and governess (Jessica Raine).

The teenager is dominated by the older woman and meekly accepts her teachings until a mysterious carriage crash sees an injured girl (Devrim Lingnau) taken into their house to recuperate.

Initially, the girl appears to have been rendered mute by the trauma but as soon as she finds her voice, Lara's world's changes dramatically.

She dares not only to show dissent against the draconian rules of the house but also to give in to lustful desires which are awoken by the stranger.

However, these are dangerous times and out-of-the-ordinary behaviour is associated with demonic possession.

The longer the film goes on, the more it attempts to ratchet up tension as the governess sees her hold on her change being loosened.

Does she really believe in malevolent spirits or is she jealous or even appalled at the grip the stranger has on Lara?

Either way, big decisions have to be made.

Harris could have done with a bigger budget to enable her to grab her audience. Unfortunately, the truth is that her cast don't quite have the presence and she lacked the essentials such as a powerful score.

The action is very contained - never moving from the country house estate and mainly being inside its main building.

So, the concept was good but the execution doesn't shock in the way its makers might have hoped.

Reasons to watch: Intriguing period drama

Reasons to avoid: Gory scenes

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Very brief

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? Joseph Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales, mystery novels, and horror fiction. He was a leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era

The final word. Emily Harris: “It’s a beautiful coming-of-age love story set within tapestry of religion and fear of the unknown. It was a deep-rooted fear and I found that really, really interesting.”

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