By – Gareth Jones

For fans of independent Irish films, low budget but inventive horror, and Gothic chamber piece films

Caveat is the first film for Irish writer/director/editor Damian Mc Carthy. It is a remarkable debut.  It shows all the signs of creativity and ingenuity of an artist with a distinct vision.  It was released in October of 2020, and although it was filmed before the pandemic, it feels like a great representation of how many folks felt in quarantine.

It tells the story of a down on his luck young man, Issac (played by newcomer Johnny French, also in his first feature length film). He looks so forlorn with his unkempt beard and hair and his eyes are haunted.  We can only imagine what has led him to such a state, but we will soon find out as the film efficiently uses flashbacks to show us the relationships and how the characters wound up in these situations.  He is being hired by Moe Barrett (played with a strongly effective level of menace by Ben Caplan) to watch over his niece, Olga who we had been introduced to in a disorienting opening sequence.  Olga is played by Leila Sykes and she does a great job balancing fear and menace as a young woman who goes into catatonic episodes where she covers her eyes and does not respond to anyone.  Again, why she is like this will slowly be revealed through the development of the film.   Olga’s parents are also in the film in flashbacks and other ways, but that is it for the cast other than a dog.  It is a prime example of a small budget inspiring creativity.

The title of the film becomes evident when Issac learns about two catches in his job.  One, the house that Olga lives in is on an isolated island with only the one house, and two, that while watching her he must be chained to a harness that gives him access to most of the house but limits him from going into Olga’s bedroom.  This is explained to be a necessity because of her extreme anxiety.  Issac is reticent for good reason, but he is not in position to negotiate and his limited memory of his recent past has dulled his wits.  All of this feels like how many of us may have felt during the pandemic.  Locked in our houses, sometimes with folks we did not want to be around, but with little choice. Needless to say, the film descends into various levels of madness as we learn more and more.

The production design for the film is fantastic in creating the gothic, haunting atmosphere.  The house feels like it is dead and yet alive, with broken walls and filth, and the decay of the minds reflected in decor.  Included in this space is a chilling painting, a welcome trope of the genre as well as an incredibly creepy rabbit doll that seems possessed, but it is undetermined if that is a good thing or not.  Apparently, the director found the glass-eyed monstrosity on eBay.  Just the sight of this abomination and the sound of his drum set can induce fear and anxiety. Congrats to production designer Damian Draven who is also a great graphic designer who has worked on many productions including the new Acolyte series for Disney+.  It seems fitting that we have two Damians working on a horror film of this nature.

I am very excited to see Mc Carthy’s next film Oddity which will be playing at the Sidewalk Film Festival on August 25 at 3:00 in the Lyric Theatre.

Caveat is streaming now on Shudder