Caveat – Shudder Review (3/5)

CAVEAT on Shudder is a horror movie from Ireland that has so very much going for it in terms of style and creepiness. The story, however, wasn’t as complete as I would’ve wanted. This is a drawback, but the movie is still worth watching. Read our full Caveat movie review here!

CAVEAT is a new Shudder horror movie from Ireland with fascinating characters, wonderful portrayals by its cast, and a deliciously eerie vibe. Also, if you’ve watched the trailer, there’s that darn rabbit doll with a drum. It’s like Annabelle (from The Conjuring franchise) combined with the drumming monkey… only creepier.

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Our review of Annabelle: Comes Home, which yet again features the Annabelle doll, here >

Those very human eyes on a rabbit just work perfectly. It feels like that strange drumming rabbit is looking directly into your soul. Well, into my soul anyway.

Continue reading our Caveat movie review below and check it out on Shudder.

Style over substance

Of course, when I begin by highlighting everything but the story, that also means a “but” is coming. This movie has all the elements of a brilliant horror movie when we’re talking style and creepiness, but (there it is!), the story is too incomplete. To me, anyway!

There are various interesting elements that I’m curious to learn more about. However, it feels like I keep getting hints to a bigger story that I’m never actually told. Having said that, Caveat simply excels at creating a sense of pure dread and horror that I almost can’t mind.

Well, only almost!

While I did find myself enjoying the ending, I also found myself with questions that I would never get answers to. So, if I can prepare you for this feeling, maybe you’ll be able to just enjoy that gorgeous horror style all on its own instead.

Watch Caveat on Shudder!

Damian Mc Carthy is the writer and director of Caveat and while I am not an overall fan of the style, I loved his style. Also, this is the first feature film by Damian Mc Carthy so we should have plenty to look forward to. When the end credit of Caveat ran across the screen, I felt like I had just watched a few short films rather than a complete feature.

This might sound like a backhanded insult, but again, I loved the style. I just hope Damian Mc Carthy will get a better handle on the storytelling element to carry a feature film – which probably includes an outside editor to “kill his darlings”. Then we just might have a new big horror director to keep our eye on. Actually, my eye is already on him now.

I know I really haven’t gotten into the story or plot much in this review. That’s both to avoid spoilers and because this is the kind of movie you need to just watch as the plot unfolds. There are some flashbacks and lots of weird moments, which I enjoy. They’re just not anything that I can explain without giving away too much.

Okay, I will say this: The mother in this movie is amazingly creepy in both the smallest of ways and the very direct and violent ways. So, you know, enjoy that mother-issue-creating element. Plus, I would definitely watch more movies with that drumming rabbit with human eyes. I loved that drumming rabbit and found myself both a little terrified and very intrigued by it.

CAVEAT premieres on Shudder on June 3, 2021.

Details

Director: Damian Mc Carthy
Writer: Damian Mc Carthy
Stars: Jonathan French, Ben Caplan, Leila Sykes, Conor Dwane