Is it morning yet? - Dawning (2009)

Remember the first time you saw your parents in a new, unfavourable light? Unsettling, wasn't it?

In Gregg Holtgrewe's new film we begin on a beautifully lit night. A brother and sister are driving to see their father and step mother at their house in the woods. As soon as they arrive you are hit by the tension between the family. It's obvious there is bad history there and it's palpable. It's not like they're not talking but the silence in between the dialog becomes the foreboding message of the film.

They seem to be getting along, begrudgingly, when the dog disappears. It finally turns up, badly injured. The father decides to put it out of it's misery with his riffle. You always know that when the dog gets it in these types of films, the horror has begun, right? Just when they think things can't get any worse, a visitor turns up. He attacks them but insists he isn't there to hurt them. He has a warning; something is coming.

They are, understandably scared and manage to overpower him. But are they biting the hand that feeds them? Something starts to change. Something is coming? Is it here already?

I love the scenes when our characters start to turn on each other, hearing things. Paranoia has begun to breed. It's feeding off their insecurities. Feeding off the insecurities forced on us by those closest to us. Are they hearing things that aren't there or are they just reading between the lines?

I can't tell you how surprised I was by this film. Oh wait, this is a blog, so I must. It wasn't in your face like many these days. There's nothing wrong with in your face but here we are lulled in to security. We live the awkward yet familiar feeling of responsibility with the characters. We recognise the terror of something coming and not understanding what it is or being able to stop it.

Something came to that house that night, and it was evil.

Thank you to Gregg for sending me his film. You can see the trailer here.