Haunting occultist period dramas have a way of grabbing you by the throat and not letting go until the heart stopping end. I’m thinking of such British horror from more recent years such as Apostle and His House. The British are known for their Hammer horrors and low-grade indie horror films, when it comes to this very specific genre. Although over the years, British horror films are creeping out of the woodwork and the genre is becoming a staple on streaming services. Successes like Saint Maud, getting a cinema release and recognition is a stand out, but the smaller films are getting a chance too, thanks to Shudder and Netflix.
A short time after a gruesome death and suspicious activity at Morely Rectory, a new vicar, his wife and their adopted daughter move into the village. Almost immediately Marianne, the young wife feels a presence in the house, as does their daughter Adelaide who was Marianne’s deceased sister’s daughter. Linus, placed in the village by the Bishop instead of being sent to a missionary abroad, is beholden to the Bishop and tries to appease him, especially as he does not approve of Marianne. Further hauntings continue, making the mother and daughter seem like they are going mad. But when Marianne meets the mysterious Harry Reed, he informs her of all the missing pieces of the house’s history and what the intentions of the Bishops really are.
There are moments of ominous terror which are always welcome in these types of stories. Not giving away everything straight away creates an intriguing mystery. But the added Nazi threats in the background, make the film feel overcrowded. Is this a conspiracy or is this occult or is this both? It just makes it very confusing and at time difficult to stay focused. The wanton woman trope is also over used and seems a bit pointless. Linus doesn’t want to have sex with his wife but also is jealous at the thought of her seeking pleasure elsewhere. This aspect of the story also doesn’t feel resolved by the end and focuses more on the disappearance of Adelaide which should have been key all along.
The Banishing, although not strong in story or character, it does create an unnerving atmosphere, with acting talent trying their best to make this film more than what was given to them to work with. This is more like a starting point to a story, rather than the main event. With fine tuning of the script and a few more ominous notes rather than hitting all the usual genre beats, The Banishing could have been one the stand out horror films of the year.