THE KINDRED is a new British horror thriller with supernatural elements. The storytelling could be stronger, but the deliciously eerie vibe is there. While jump scares are overused at times, they do work. Read our full The Kindred movie review here!
THE KINDRED is a new supernatural horror thriller from the UK. It’s slow-burn and does become too slow at times, but it should still keep you engaged.
Also, that eerie vibe that you expect from a movie with “supernatural” as part of its description, works really well. This includes jump scares that do become a bit too frequent at times. They do hit their mark, though.
Continue reading our The Kindred movie review below.
Just pick up the pace a bit
For a movie with a runtime of just 94 minutes, it still feels a bit long. While I get the idea behind the slow-burn, a runtime just ten minutes shorter would probably have improved the overall viewing experience.
And, to be fair, I’m only picking on this whole “pacing issue” because this movie does have a lot of potential. The style and vibe of The Kindred is actually very impressive. A good part of that comes from the acting as well.
Also, I will give The Kindred props for hitting its jump scare marks perfectly. Something The Wasteland suffered from.
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Admittedly, the jump scares (and visual style of these jumps scares) do become overused. But hey, at least they do work!
April Pearson carries the plot
April Pearson especially has a lot to work with and makes the most of it. The opening scene with her is a heart-stopping one and the scene following this is heartbreakingly confusing for her. It’s a real doozy.
If you’ve watched the original UK version of the amazing teen drama Skins, then you’ll probably recognize April Pearson as “Michelle” from that series. That was more than a decade ago though, and she has done a lot since.
Not least in genre movies like Tormented (2009) and Fractured (2016). You should probably expect to see her around more and more in the years to come.
Other actors in key roles (of varying sizes) are Patrick Bergin (Sleeping with the Enemy) and James Cosmo (The Hole in the Ground, Malevolent). Also, the gloriously quirky Steve Oram (A Dark Song, Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break) plays an important role as well.
Watch The Kindred in theaters or VOD
Jamie Patterson is the director of The Kindred and clearly has a strong talent for creating horror. Both the slow-burn vibe that gets under your skin and the in-your-face jump scares that keep you on the edge of your seat.
Also, he does tend to work with April Pearson a lot, which I hope continues. It clearly works very well for them both!
The script was written by Christian J. Hearn, who also wrote the Jamie Patterson movie Fractured which also starred April Pearson. As far as I’m concerned, this is clearly a constellation that works. Again, with tighter pacing, this could be horror magic!
THE KINDRED is out in select theaters and VOD from January 7, 2022.
Details
Director: Jamie Patterson
Writer: Christian J. Hearn
Stars: April Pearson, James Cosmo, Patrick Bergin, Blake Harrison, Samantha Bond, Steve Oram, Robbie Gee
Plot
After her father’s suicide, a young mother investigates what led to his death. But when she is haunted by spirits and unearths an unsolved mystery from 30 years ago, she discovers a dark family history that could prove deadly for her child.
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