The Turning (2020)
The Turning (2020)
So what constitutes a Maine movie, for Maine Movie Mondays? Well what I am going for is that the film is either filmed in Maine or set in Maine. So tonight's film, on the back of the DVD cover says that it takes place in rural Maine, so I decided that I needed to add it to the collection, honestly I missed this film coming out, and knew nothing of it going in to it. So as far as being a Maine movie, other than the cover saying that it takes place here, there is nothing at all in the film to suggest that it is set in Maine, it could have been Upstate New York, Massachusetts, or even Ireland or England, because there is nothing in this film that implies or suggests that the film is taking place in Maine, other than the back cover of the DVD. So I guess I am doing this film purely on the cover suggesting that rural Maine is the setting.
The Turning is an updated version of Henry James' 1898 ghost story The Turn Of The Screw, it is set around 1994 (as evident from the news story at the beginning of Kurt Cobain's suicide. Other than that, hint at the time, there is really nothing that establishes a time period, most of the music used in the film is modern music, and the style of dress of the characters could just as easily be current. The film is about Kate, who gets a job in "rural Maine" as a governess for two rich kids whose parents died in an accident, and her position is a live in position in their palatial estate. The children Flora and Miles have been through some trauma, and they live with the family's caretaker Mrs. Grose. But the spirits of the dead, still haunt the halls of the Fairchild Estate, and there is something not quite right with these kids, especially with Miles, and Kate might have gotten more than she bargained for with this job.
The Turning was directed by Floria Sigismondi with a screenplay by Carey and Chad Hayes. The film is based on Henry James' 1898 novel The Turn Of The Screw. The Turning was produced by Dreamworks Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, and Vertigo Entertainment, and distributed by Universal Pictures in 2020. The film barely broke even with a box office gross of $19.4 million, with a budget of $14 million. The film also didn't fare well with the critics, as the film received generally negative reviews.
The Turning stars Mackenzie Davis as Kate Mandell, Brooklynn Prince as Flora Fairchild, Finn Wolfhard as Miles Fairchild, Barbara Marten as Mrs. Grose, and Joely Richardson as Darla Mandell (Kate's mother). Though the film isn't perfect, I can honestly say that the cast was really great in their roles. The film is a psychological horror film, and Mackenzie Davis was very believable in the role of Kate in the film, it felt like as I watched the film, that I was going insane with her, as the fear and hauntings set in, and it makes the viewer question, is what we are seeing real, or are we seeing the visions of an insane young woman? She played the role very convincingly, and I could feel her terror, and found myself getting chills as I watched this film. Finn Wolfhard as Miles was also amazing, he can be a really creepy kind, and this film shows that he is more than "the kid from Stranger Things", as this film allowed him to play a much darker character, and honestly he totally nailed the performance, and was a truly terrifying character. Then there is the adorable Brooklynn Prince, such a talented young actress, if this film is any example, this kid has a great career in front of her. Her ability to play a dark character, and then with a blink of an eye play a cute playful kid is absolutely fantastic. The three main cast members were all absolutely fantastic in their roles.
Though this film got really bad reviews, it is an effective psychological horror film, and I can say that I really enjoyed this film. The film has some great acting, and it looks absolutely beautiful throughout. So why then did this film do so badly with the critics? The story. It isn't that it is bad, it is that it is at times incoherent, and tries too hard to be deep and...well pretentious, but it ends up just being a borderline nonsensical mess. Many critics have described it as "muddled", and though I find that usually a lazy critic of a work, it honestly is a fitting description of The Turning. This is not a bad film, and I think ultimately there is more to like than there is to not like about this film, however the negative critiques are valid. I think that if you haven't yet seen this film, it is worth seeing, it is an effective psychological horror film. I don't know if it is a film that I would re-watch regularly, but it is definitely worth checking out, so if you come across a copy of The Turning, I recommend checking it out, for the stunning look of the film, and the amazing acting alone are valid reasons that make it worth checking out.
The Turning is an updated version of Henry James' 1898 ghost story The Turn Of The Screw, it is set around 1994 (as evident from the news story at the beginning of Kurt Cobain's suicide. Other than that, hint at the time, there is really nothing that establishes a time period, most of the music used in the film is modern music, and the style of dress of the characters could just as easily be current. The film is about Kate, who gets a job in "rural Maine" as a governess for two rich kids whose parents died in an accident, and her position is a live in position in their palatial estate. The children Flora and Miles have been through some trauma, and they live with the family's caretaker Mrs. Grose. But the spirits of the dead, still haunt the halls of the Fairchild Estate, and there is something not quite right with these kids, especially with Miles, and Kate might have gotten more than she bargained for with this job.
The Turning stars Mackenzie Davis as Kate Mandell, Brooklynn Prince as Flora Fairchild, Finn Wolfhard as Miles Fairchild, Barbara Marten as Mrs. Grose, and Joely Richardson as Darla Mandell (Kate's mother). Though the film isn't perfect, I can honestly say that the cast was really great in their roles. The film is a psychological horror film, and Mackenzie Davis was very believable in the role of Kate in the film, it felt like as I watched the film, that I was going insane with her, as the fear and hauntings set in, and it makes the viewer question, is what we are seeing real, or are we seeing the visions of an insane young woman? She played the role very convincingly, and I could feel her terror, and found myself getting chills as I watched this film. Finn Wolfhard as Miles was also amazing, he can be a really creepy kind, and this film shows that he is more than "the kid from Stranger Things", as this film allowed him to play a much darker character, and honestly he totally nailed the performance, and was a truly terrifying character. Then there is the adorable Brooklynn Prince, such a talented young actress, if this film is any example, this kid has a great career in front of her. Her ability to play a dark character, and then with a blink of an eye play a cute playful kid is absolutely fantastic. The three main cast members were all absolutely fantastic in their roles.
Though this film got really bad reviews, it is an effective psychological horror film, and I can say that I really enjoyed this film. The film has some great acting, and it looks absolutely beautiful throughout. So why then did this film do so badly with the critics? The story. It isn't that it is bad, it is that it is at times incoherent, and tries too hard to be deep and...well pretentious, but it ends up just being a borderline nonsensical mess. Many critics have described it as "muddled", and though I find that usually a lazy critic of a work, it honestly is a fitting description of The Turning. This is not a bad film, and I think ultimately there is more to like than there is to not like about this film, however the negative critiques are valid. I think that if you haven't yet seen this film, it is worth seeing, it is an effective psychological horror film. I don't know if it is a film that I would re-watch regularly, but it is definitely worth checking out, so if you come across a copy of The Turning, I recommend checking it out, for the stunning look of the film, and the amazing acting alone are valid reasons that make it worth checking out.
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