Woe – Movie Review (3/5)

WOE is a mystery-thriller that works extremely well in terms of style and vibe. The story could be an issue for some, though. It utilizes symbolism in ways that won’t speak to everyone. Still, watch it for the creepy and eerie vibe – and a great cast. Read our full Woe movie review here!

WOE is a new mystery-thriller that shows immense potential from this newcomer director. For this feature film, the potential is especially obvious in having a strong style. One that evokes creepiness and eerie vibes from even the smallest of moments.

The story, however, might ultimately be more of an issue for mainstream movie-watchers. There are scenes where this thriller plays out as a classic indie film with awesome dialogue and funky characters. As a whole, the actual plot and storyline is a bit more muddied. Or rather, it’s full of symbolism and that’s not always the easiest to decipher.

Continue reading our Woe movie review below.

Great cast

Adam Halferty plays Charlie Dennistoun who struggles with the legacy of his father who died a year earlier. How and why is not something I’ll get into here, since it’s what the movie is actually about.

As the sister, Betty, we see Jessie Rabideau who ultimately plays a smaller role than I suspected based on the IMDb plot. That particular plot description made it sound like the brother and sister would be in the thick of it altogether, which isn’t exactly the case.

In any case, I was shocked at how much Jessie Rabideau reminded me of a young Louise Fletcher from several angles. Something about the hairstyle and her features just reminded me so much of the iconic actress who, of course, played Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (she won an Oscar for that performance).

YOU MIGHT LIKE

Our season 1 review of the Netflix series Ratched about the character Nurse Ratched >

For me, most scenes were completely taken over by Ryan Kattner who tries to help Charlie to the very best of his ability. Also to help Betty, since the two are about to get married and she’s (understandably) stressing about her brother’s very obsessive personality. Ryan Kattner was just so damn charming and realistic in his approach that I loved watching him in every scene.

Also in a smaller role is James Russo who will be a familiar face – probably the only one in the movie – for most genre fans. James Russo has been in everything from Polanski’s The Ninth Gate (1999) to Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012).

Watch the Woe movie On-Demand or on DVD

Matthew Goodhue is the writer and director of Woe which is also his feature film debut. Prior to making this movie, he wrote and directed two short films – released in 2017 and 2018. He is also the editor of this feature film just as he was on his short films.

I often get a little weary when the filmmaker does everything, but in this case, I can’t really falter it. Especially because the runtime lands at a crisp 1 hour and 24 minutes.

Also, I have to give it credit for never getting boring, which is usually the biggest dealbreaker. Ultimately, this movie both wins on (and suffers from) the same as the movie Caveat – out on Shudder now. They are both movies that score extremely high on evoking horror in creative ways. Unfortunately, this seems to be (to a point) at the expense of the storyline itself.

WOE is out On-Demand, Digital, and DVD from June 15, 2021.

Details

Director: Matthew Goodhue
Writer: Matthew Goodhue
Stars: Adam Halferty, Jessie Rabideau, Ryan Kattner, James Russo, Jerilyn Armstrong, Russell Becker