SON is a new horror movie from Shudder / RLJE. The plot deals with cults and PTSD as well as possible mental illness and supernatural elements. All you really need to know is that it’s awesome because it’s creepy as f**k. Read our full Son movie review here!

SON is a new RLJE / Shudder horror movie that has a lot going for it. From the opening scene, you should know that this movie could be one crazy and intense ride. And it most definitely is! Andi Matichak is awesome in the lead along with the actor in the titular role; The young Luke David Blumm who you might recognize from season 3 of The Sinner.

It’s listed as horror and thriller on IMDb, but it deals with a lot more than this. Particularly due to the fact that it deals with both very real issues such as cults and PTSD and the classic supernatural horror elements of a very sinister nature.

Continue reading our Son movie review below.

Son is creepy as f**k

The only thing you really need to know about the 2021 horror movie Son is that it’s creepy as f**k. Seriously, do you really need to know anything more before deciding to watch it? If you do, then be ready for interesting characters, a few twists along the way, and a plot that should keep you guessing.

Oh, but it won’t leave you hanging at the end. Son does have a very definitive ending where your questions will be answered.

Also, the less you know about this movie, the better. The trailer doesn’t reveal too much, but it did tell me more than I needed to know. Just seconds into the trailer, I knew I wanted to watch the movie due to the vibe and style. Fortunately, that particular gritty and creepy style is actually very accurate and holds true throughout the movie.

For the record, this Son movie has nothing to do with the Spanish thrillers El hijo or Tu hijo [“hijo” means son]. It’s been somewhat of a theme to have that word in titles these past few years. Out of them all, this 2021 movie is definitely my favorite!

Son (2021) Horror Review

Andi Matichak is just getting started

The star of Son is Andi Matichak who plays the mother of the titular character. Without giving away too much, let me just say that she is really good in this. Of course, she’s been great in everything we’ve seen with her so far. Most recently, she starred in the horror, mystery, sci-fi hybrid Assimilate (2019).

You might like: Our review of the genre-hybrid Assimilate here >

It’s only been a few years since Andi Matichak became a recognizable face to most horror fans. This happened when she co-starred with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween in 2018. Andi Matichak played Allyson, the granddaughter of iconic horror final girl, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).

She was cast as a fresh face, just as Jamie Lee Curtis was in the first Halloween movie 40 years earlier in 1978. Of course, we’ll get to see both actors in the upcoming Halloween Kills (2021) which is already completed and was supposed to be out for Halloween 2020. Of course, a pandemic put a stop to that, so now 2021 is the plan. And, finally, Halloween Ends which is set for 2022.

Other actors in Son include Emile Hirsh, who I’ve always been partial to. Most recently, Emile Hirsh has been doing a lot of indie genre films of which I’ll highlight two; the horror movie The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) and the sci-fi mystery Freaks (2018). He also has several genre movies listed as “completed” or in “post-production” so we’ll see more with him soon.

Watch Son (2021) On-Demand (and eventually on Shudder)

Ivan Kavanagh is the writer and director of Son and I was very happy to learn that he has a TV series in pre-production as well as a movie announced. In other words, we should see more from Ivan Kavanagh before too long. He also wrote and directed the 2014 horror-mystery The Canal and had his feature film debut in 2007 with Tin Can Man, so he’s been around for a while.

While Son is co-produced and distributed by Shudder, the movie will be out in wider release on digital and in theaters first. I would have loved to watch this in a dark movie theater, but it did also do the job at home. Preferably on a good screen, in the dark, and with good sound.

It was a rather glorious horror experience and definitely a horror highlight of 2021 so far!

SON will be out in theaters, On Demand, and Digital on March 5, 2021. On July 8 it will also be added to Shudder.

Details

Director: Ivan Kavanagh
Writer: Ivan Kavanagh
Stars: Andi Matichak, Luke David Blumm, Emile Hirsch, Cranston Johnson, Blaine Maye

Plot

After a mysterious group of individuals breaks into Laura’s home and attempts to steal her eight-year-old son, David, the two of them flee town in search of safety. But soon after the failed kidnapping, David becomes extremely ill, suffering from increasingly sporadic psychosis and convulsions. Following her maternal instincts to save him, Laura commits unspeakable acts to keep him alive but soon, she must decide how far she is willing to go to save her son.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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