New Supernatural Horror Thriller Debuts Near 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Oddity is written and directed by Damian McCarthy and follows a blind medium and curio shopkeeper named Darcy, who seeks to uncover the truth about her sister Dani’s murder a year ago. Suspecting Dani’s husband played a role, Darcy pays him and his new girlfriend a surprise visit and brings cursed items from her curio collection to help exact her revenge. One of these cursed items is a wooden mannequin, which becomes essential to her quest for revenge.

Oddity is written and directed by Damian McCarthy and follows a blind medium and curio shopkeeper named Darcy, who seeks to uncover the truth about her sister Dani’s murder a year ago. Suspecting Dani’s husband played a role, Darcy pays him and his new girlfriend a surprise visit and brings cursed items from her curio collection to help exact her revenge. One of these cursed items is a wooden mannequin, which becomes essential to her quest for revenge.

The pitch for Oddity alone might be enough to get you on board to check out this indie horror flick, but the reviews are also glowing. Kyle Smith from the Wall Street Journal said, “Alfred Hitchcock would have been proud to put his name on this lean and unsettling thriller, and it’s a triumph for its relatively new writer-director, Ireland’s Damian McCarthy.” Comparison to Hitchcock, a master of suspense, is high praise indeed and certainly makes it seem that McCarthy will be a horror director to watch going forward.

Jeannette Catsoulis from the New York Times said, “Coolly executed and seductively simple, Oddity, the second feature from Damian McCarthy, is a fun, back-to-basics supernatural thriller that cares more about making us jump than making us cringe.” Catsoulis’ review is definitely encouraging for those who are tired of horror movies relying solely on shocking gore to get your attention, as McCarthy seems to focus on more old-school jump scares. A good jump-scare-filled movie is always a fun time at the theater.

While many of the reviews for Oddity praise McCarthy’s direction and tight script, an equal amount of praise went to Carolyn Bracken’s dual performance as Dani and Darcy. Lee McCoy from DrumDums said, “Carolyn Bracken is mesmerizing taking on two roles, one being blind,” adding “She’s the epitome of a rootable character.” Lee also pointed out the atmosphere, saying, “ It’s super creepy and only benefits from the stripped down budget.” 

Speaking of budget, Oddity also has some behind-the-scenes details that will make practical horror fans happy, as effects artist Paul McDonell created the wooden mannequin in the film inspired by films like Child’s Play and Creepshow. McCarthy also found many of the film’s props in antique stores, adding to the authenticity. James Verniere from Boston Movie News had praise for the curio shop in the film, too, saying, “This nerve-rattling neo-Gothic Irish entry from writer-director Damian Mc Carthy (Caveat) features a curio shop and a marvelous dual role for Irish actor Carolyn Bracken.”

Alison Foreman from IndieWire acknowledged that while Oddity isn’t perfect, its flaws are still consistent with the core of the film, saying, “Oddity delivers a brilliant, bespoke, and tightly entertaining string of ideas that work stronger as a collection — with even these missteps feeling like they branch from a unified center.” It clearly plays well to an audience too, as when it premiered at South by Southwest, it ended up winning the Audience Award in the Midnighter part of the festival. So, if you like indie horror and this film happens to be playing in a theater near you, it seems like it’s worth checking out.

Oddity is directed and written by Damian McCarthy. Along with Carolyn Bracken, the film stars Gwilym Lee, Tadhg Murphy, Caroline Menton, Steve Wall, Jonathan French, and Joe Rooney. Oddity is now playing in theaters.