PopHorror Let's Get Scared
One of the cool things I get to do here at PopHorror is review films. I try to watch films that haven’t been on my radar and I go into them blind. I enjoy the mystery of watching a new film with no expectations and sometimes I get surprised by these films. The Jessica Cabin (2022) is one such film that I knew nothing about. I saw the preview and its uniqueness drew me in, so I decided to give it a watch.
What did I think of The Jessica Cabin (2022)? Read on to find out!
The Jessica Cabin Synopsis
The Jessica Cabin (2022) tells a queer story of love and loss as a heartbroken young man finds himself trapped in a remote rental with two lonely spirits. Nicky and his boyfriend Preston rent a cabin in the middle of the desert for a long, romantic weekend. Unbeknownst to them, they’re being watched by two mysterious figures, ghosts Jackson and Taylor.
Utterly bored with their afterlives (to a darkly comic degree), Jackson and Taylor quickly take a watchful liking to Nicky. After observing some questionable behavior from Preston, Jackson and Taylor use their ghostly powers to intervene in the couple’s relationship. A resulting argument between the couple leaves Nicky all alone at the cabin (with Jackson and Taylor, of course), and, fueled by loneliness, the ghosts make a reckless decision to ensure Nicky stays with them forever.
The three souls now must learn how to inhabit the cursed cabin together while navigating complicated feelings of resentment, regret, and attraction. As they reflect, revelations are made, dating back to the first spirit to haunt the cabin, the titular forlorn figure Jessica. The featured cast includes Daniel Montgomery, Riley Rose Critchlow, Chase Williamson, Will Tranfo, Kylee Thurman, and Melinda DeKay.
Daniel Montgomery directed the film. It stars Chase Williamson (The Guest), Riley Rose Critchlow (John Dies at the End), and Noelle Urbano (Face Swap).
My Thoughts
This film is definitely a dramedy with a light touch of horror. The film has twinges of the beginning scenes of Beetlejuice, as far as trapped ghosts in a house: the loneliness and isolation of being trapped in one spot. But it poses a different scenario. What if the living visited you on a temporary basis in a rental cabin out in the middle of nowhere? New people sounds interesting, however, when you are a trapped ghost, it’s monotony.
The film initially starts out with Nicky (Chase Williamson) and his boyfriend Preston (Will Tranfo) and their romantic getaway weekend. They arrive at the cabin and they have no idea that two bored ghost besties Jackson (Daniel Montgomery, who also wrote and directed) and Taylor (Riley Rose Critchlow) are occupants of this cabin. Of course, this romantic weekend goes awry and then manages to go amiss for Nicky. At this point, the film really delves into many complicated feelings in such a way, that it is both funny and touching.
The film is on the shorter side about 73 minutes, but doesn’t feel too short and the pacing is near perfect. The film uses a few practical effects to demonstrate “haunting” by Jackson and Taylor. The story starts out simple, but it quickly develops into a full-bodied story. This film was really put together well. The best part is the performances by all the actors. They had chemistry and really owned the characters they portrayed.
My Final Thought
The Jessica Cabin (2022) made me laugh out loud, literally, in parts but also made me think and feel. It had a little of everything and I was surprised by this one. It is definitely worthy of a watch. If you are looking for something different this spooky season, check it out. It is available now on most VOD platforms.
