Don't Look Away — Don't Look Away(VOD)
Released on digital platforms on 25 September ‘Don’t Look Away’ is a new horror film directed by Micheal Bafaro. It regards a young woman called Frankie (Kelly Bastard) who is been stalked by a murderous supernatural presence that takes the form of a mannequin. Its face is defined by bony ridges and a creepy Joker-like smile. At first, she can only see it, but as the attacks/ kills continue her other friends start seeing it too.
Mannequins are a relatively rare horror movie menace. Recently I can only recall the 1990s ‘Fear’ films with their wooden antagonist Morty. But as with all human-shaped figures- either artificial or long dead- they seem pregnant with the possibility of movement or life. So as with movies featuring reanimated skeletons, mummies or animated golems, statues and the like- the money shot in such films is generally where it twitches into unnatural life. Given this, Bafaro and his co-scripter Michael Mitton (credited as “the Michaels”) should be commended on resisting the obvious temptation and staying true to their movie’s strapline: ”It doesn’t move, it doesn’t think, it just kills”. But then again this movie doesn’t truly belong in the unnaturally animated menaces genre
A clue to the Michaels’ actual antecedents is found in a dedication in the closing credits; “Dedicated to Sergio Martino, John Carpenter & Larry Cohen”. Of these horror auteurs the film’s most evident influence comes from Carpenter and his seminal stalk and slash classic, ‘Halloween’ (1978).
Like ‘Halloween”’s Michael Myers, mostly performed by the actor (Nick Castle) listed in the credits as The Shape, Bafaro’s unnamed mannequin is a man shaped, man-sized engine of destruction creating a wave of mayhem with no apparent motivation and targeting an individual and her associates with no discernible reason (the business of Laurie Strode being Michael’s sister was only introduced in ‘Halloween II’ (1981). As in ‘Halloween” the killer is often seen motionless at a distance while the mannequin’s sinister silhouette suddenly becomes visible in the corner of the frame recalling Michael’s white mask unexpectedly looming up in inky darkness.
Unlike many of the directors who have worked on various ‘Halloween’ sequels and reboots, Bafaro does not attempt to mimic Carpenter stylistically. Instead of Carpenter’s cool blues, he favours a yellowish/reddish pallet. This helps to give his villain a diabolic feel as when he appears framed against an orange mist.
As Frankie Kelly Bastard gives the best performance possible given the rather flat dialogue and has something of the wide-eyed vulnerability of Elisabeth Moss.
Both Michaels act in the film, Mitton as the male lead Jonah and Bafaro as Viktor Malick, a Van Helsing/Savant type who may be intended as this movie’s Dr Loomis (then again … spoilers).
Some professional critics and consumer reviewers have been fairly scathing about this film which I think is unfair. ‘Don’t Look Away’ is generally a tight, entertaining effort with an interesting eclectic score (the pounding electro passages again recalling Carpenter) that has enough originality and effectiveness to make it a future cult film.