Behind You (2020)
86 min.
Release Date: April 17, 2020 (On Demand)
Yet another horror film about an old house haunted by a demonic presence, “Behind You” is an entry-level piece of work. The foot-in-the-door feature debut of writer-directors Andrew Mecham and Matthew Whedon (brother of Joss) is dull and derivative, targeting horror fans and yet not really pleasing them with any inventive spokes to the rusty wheel. Though the filmmakers have surprisingly polished production values on their side, “Behind You” feels grindingly generic all around and just isn’t that scary.
After the sudden death of their mother, sisters Olivia (Addy Miller) and Claire (Elizabeth Birkner) are dropped off by their mother’s co-worker friend to stay with their estranged Aunt Beth (Jan Broberg), until their father can be reached. Unlike their aunt’s friendly neighbor and frequent visitor Charles (Philip Brodie), Beth seems as if she wants nothing to do with the girls but takes them in anyway. She lays down some rules, like being in bed by 11 and not setting foot in the basement or her study. Silly auntie, kids were born to break the rules, although the younger (and mute) Claire is lured by the soothing sounds of her dear mother’s voice from her favorite stuffed bunny. When Claire is first instructed to steal a key to the basement, she wakes something up by reciting an incantation in the once-covered mirrors, and it’s not Mommy.
Supernaturally inclined horror movies like “Behind You” call attention to how films like
“The Conjuring” and
“Insidious” are superior with a strong director at the helm. One due compliment is that the film is not chockablock with jump scares, but the jolts that do exist are so uninspired, characters suddenly getting yanked off their feet by the unseen demon. Writer-directors Mecham and Whedon keep the false endings coming, only for Aunt Beth to finally open her book on necromancy to the right chapter on defeating the "entity of extreme malevolence." Although it might be the fault of the clunky dialogue the actors are asked to sell rather than the actors themselves, most of the performances come off flat as well. It’s safe to say not even the easily spooked will be checking their back or losing sleep over this one. Tedious and ineffective, “Behind You” is a competently made first film but nothing more.
Grade: C -
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