PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Lucky McKee is one of my favorite indie filmmakers in the horror world. I adore The Woman and May and I couldn’t wait to check out his new thriller Kindred Spirits. Luckily for me, I got a chance to check it out at its World Premiere during the 2019 Cinepocalypse Film Festival on July 16th.
The film stars Thora Birch (Hocus Pocus, Ghost World), Sasha Frolova (Red Sparrow), Macon Blair (Green Room), and Caitlin Stasey (Fear, Inc).
Synopsis for Kindred Spirits
A single mother (Birch) struggles with the chaos of everyday life and raising her daughter (Frolova) alone when out of nowhere her sister (Stasey) shows up after a long unexplained absence. Although happy to be reunited, not everything is at seems and it’s not the blissful homecoming they’re expecting. Secrets and lies begin to unfold that put everyone in danger.
As expected, Lucky McKee delivers a dark and twisted story that will keep you invested from beginning to end. Like he mentions in his interview with us, this script fits him like a glove. It starts out with a normal family struggling to get by and facing the normal hassles of life until a human bomb is dropped into their lives that will change everything forever. They never saw it coming even though all the signs were there.
It was such a special treat to see Thora Birch back on the screen where she belongs. She’s always been one of my favorite actresses and has proven she can transform for any type of role. She plays the Mother in Kindred Spirits and depicts the struggles of motherhood perfectly, showing the uncertainty and complications one goes through when trying to balance being a single mother and finding love again. Sasha Frolova is incredibly talented and I think we will see great things from her in the future. Her ability to reflect rage and teenage angst comes effortlessly and natural. Then there is Caitlin Stasey who plays crazy like its her second calling. Her execution is right up there with other memorable performances such as Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female.
Although not a super brutal and bloody film, there are some scenes that are pretty horrid and will satisfy any gorehound’s thirst for blood. The ending felt a bit rushed and fell a little flat for me. I just expected more and wanted a better explanation to how things unfolded.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a fan of Lucky McKee, Kindred Spirits is definitely one you’ll want to check it out. Although it doesn’t rank as one of my favorites from him, it still delivers a compelling story with an incredibly dark tone and twists and turns lurking around every corner.
