 |
| (Courtesy Photo) |
Scottie Thompson leads a moody 1892 California drama about old love, troubled marriages and a possible haunting, though one uneven performance weakens an otherwise strong ensemble piece.
“Séance,” Vivian Kerr’s second feature as a writer and director, is the kind of period ghost story I am drawn to: a stormy night, a remote mansion, a damaged marriage and the sense that someone—or something—may be watching from the next room. Set on the California coast in 1892, the film follows novelist Emma Strand (Scottie Thompson) as she and her second husband, Albert (Connor Paolo), are forced by a sudden storm to seek shelter with Emma’s first husband, George (Jilon VanOver), and his new wife, Lillian (Kerr).
The gathering is uneasy from the start. Emma has not escaped her feelings about George, and Albert has reasons of his own to feel threatened. George and Lillian are grieving Hazel, their recently drowned daughter, whose presence seems to linger throughout the house. As the storm worsens, old resentments surface, temptations become harder to resist, and the possibility that Hazel may still be in the mansion becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss.
A Haunting With Real Stakes
 |
| (Courtesy Photo) |
Kerr builds “Séance” around the things her characters cannot say plainly. The film is interested in grief, jealousy, sexual frustration and the damage left behind when people stay in marriages that no longer satisfy them. The question of whether the house is haunted gives the story its suspense, but the stronger tension comes from the emotional history between the two couples.
The film works because Kerr does not rush it. She lets conversations play out and gives the audience time to watch the characters measure one another. The story is contained within the mansion, but it does not feel small. The house becomes a place where no one can avoid the past, including Emma, who must face what she left behind and what she may still want.
Kerr directs with a steady hand. She understands that a story like this needs patience and control, especially when the threat is unclear. “Séance” does not rely on cheap scares. It builds unease through silence, glances, footsteps, and the feeling that something is wrong before anyone can explain why.
Cinematographer Johanna Coelho gives “Séance” its most striking visual element. Her work is lush, using darkness, candlelit rooms, and the muted light outside the mansion to create a world that feels removed from the present.
The historic Los Angeles homes used for the production give the film an authentic sense of place, but Coelho’s camera is what makes them feel alive. She finds the right balance between beauty and dread. The mansion can feel warm one moment and threatening the next, and the camera keeps the audience aware of the shadows beyond the characters. Coelho’s work adds real depth to the film and suggests a cinematographer with a strong future ahead.
The production design by Bri Jones, costume design by Nina Fuller, and hair and makeup design by Lauren Litwin are all solid. None of the work calls attention to itself. Instead, it supports the film’s 1892 setting and allows the story to unfold naturally.
Scottie Thompson plays Emma, the central character who is caught between the safety of her current marriage and the pull of a life she thought she had left behind. The difficulty is that one performance in the four-person ensemble does not match the strength of the others. In a film that depends so much on its period setting, mood, and emotional tension, the difference is hard to ignore.
At times, the weaker acting breaks the spell, pulling the viewer out of 1892 and back into the present.
That is a shame, because “Séance” is otherwise well directed and beautifully supported by its sound design, production design, costumes, and Coelho’s lush cinematography. The film has the right setting, the right mood and a strong central performance from Thompson. It is easy to see what Kerr is reaching for, and much of the time she gets there.
“Séance” is an effective gothic drama, and Kerr has made a film about the kind of ghosts that do not need to appear in a hallway to cause damage: old love, regret, grief, and the fear that a marriage may already be over.
The film has screened at Dances With Films, Newport Beach Film Festival, A Night of Horror and Fantaspoa, among other festivals. It has won eight awards, including Best Narrative Feature honors at Beaufort International Film Festival, Phoenixville Film Festival and Borrego Springs Film Festival. Thompson, Kerr and Paolo have also received acting awards for their work in the film.
“Séance” follows Kerr’s first feature, “Scrap,” co-starring Anthony Rapp and Lana Parrilla. “Scrap” premiered at the Deauville American Film Festival, played 44 festivals worldwide, won 23 awards, and was released in December 2024.
The official website for Vivian Kerr’s “Séance” is https://ruedangeau.com/seance
“Séance”
Written and directed by Vivian Kerr
Cast: Scottie Thompson, Jilon VanOver, Connor Paolo and Vivian Kerr
Producers: Johanna Coelho, Vivian Kerr, Marion Kerr, Makenna Tuttle, Savannah Lindblad and Suresh Cedrick Pereira
Cinematography: Johanna Coelho
Production Design: Bri Jones
Costume Design: Nina Fuller
Hair and Makeup Design: Lauren Litwin
No comments:
Post a Comment