PopHorror Let's Get Scared
My time at PopHorror has been quite the ride! Over time, I have had the pleasure of getting to meet old and new filmmakers along the way. Just under two years ago, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and came across a group page for a movie called The Nursery that hadn’t even started filming yet. I was instantly intrigued by how many followers a low budget indie film that had not shot a single frame had backing it. I instantly needed to know more. I reached out to Christopher Micklos, who had not only written the script but also was going to be directing this indie horror film as well!
I’m happy to finally say that, after two years of highly anticipating the movie that is Uncork’d Entertainment’s The Nursery, I have now been able to see it, and I am so excited to tell you all about it! Did the movie I’ve been intrigued with from the very beginning stages live up to everything I thought it could be? Let’s discuss!
Official Synopsis of The Nursery:
When Ranae agrees to babysit for a family with a tragic past, a run-of-the-mill Saturday night quickly turns into a confrontation with unspeakable horror.
What Works:
Right away, I could see that The Nursery has that old school, vintage horror film feel to it. The film offers up a unique take on the ghost story genre as well. The lead, Ranae, who is played by Madeline Conaway, certainly shows some definite acting chops, even though this is her first feature. I think she played the role with confidence and ease. You can tell the cast and crew had a blast making this film, and it translates onto screen. There are several shots in The Nursery that were so well done, you would never know that these were first time filmmakers.
There are some truly horrific moments in this film. One I would even say is jaw dropping. I won’t divulge the scene, so you can experience it for yourself when you watch it, but I will say with certainty that it is still haunting me and was completely unexpected.
The creepy music really does help set the tone to the spooky story that is The Nursery. The ambiance undertones are a very nice touch to elevate this low budget indie horror film, to help give you a feeling of calmness before peaking you into high levels of anxiety.
What Doesn’t Work:
It’s really hard to critique this film, since it is so near and dear to my heart. But as a critic, I do have to be impartial and give my honest thoughts. With that said, there were two things that I had minor qualms with. The first being that I really did not like the use of the technology throughout the film to help carry the story along. This is a classic ghost tale, and I didn’t feel like showing all of the text messages and video chats were always necessary.
The second is the actual ghost. I didn’t feel the makeup effects for the ghost fit within this film. I realize that this is a debut film for the filmmakers, and I really believed they almost knocked it out of the park. These are minor things coming from a rather picky horror fan. So I have to give them major kudos.
Final Thoughts:
The Nursery is really a fun ride. The deaths are quirky and gory. The ghost story is sad and disturbing. These are all elements that I think the average horror fan will really dig! I can’t wait to see what this filmmakers do next!
