Kindred Spirits

Directors who take on stories from a female perspective is very interesting to me. We have seen a large number of films over the years, that take on different stories from a woman´s perspective. I could probably mention a list of director´s in here that have managed to do some really good films in the past, but i decided to pick out one specific director. And that is director Lucky McKee, who have directed several horror films with female lead actors, in almost every film he have directed. My first film i saw from his catalogue, is the 2002 horror film known as May. This is a horror film i remember for a couple of reasons. First of all, lead actress Angela Bettis, who did a really good performance as the disturbed character May Dove Cana. You feel sorry for her, considering that she was always seen as different from everyone else. Angela give the character May a very unique personality, and you can tell she really captured that feeling through her performance. This is a horror film that shows you what can happen, when you don´t know where to draw the line between what is ok, and what is considered to be disturbing. May is a must see, if you enjoy horror films that are a bit different from the independent film catalogue. You should be able to find this film for a good price on DVD, in case you can´t find it on rental. The second film i especially remember from director Lucky McKee, is his best film in my opinion, known as The Woman. This is a really disturbing film, of family father Chris Clerk ( played by actor Sean Bridgers ) who capture a woman, who he is believed to be the last member of a cannibalistic tribe, and keep her trapped on his property. The Woman is a very fascinating, and different kind of horror film, and i guarantee you will enjoy this one if you love disturbing human behavior. The Woman was released on Arrow Video in a new wonderful special edition on Blu Ray, a must buy for everyone. I have heard about director Lucky McKee´s latest film Kindred Spirits since late last year, but i finally got a chance to see the film on VOD. Is this another highlight from this wonderful director, or has he run out of luck this time ?

Chloe ( Thora Birch ) is a successfull single mother, living with her young daughter Nicole ( Sasha Frolova ). One day, they get an unexpected visit from Aunt Sadie ( Caitlin Stasey ), who have not been in their home for many years. Nicole is especially happy to spend time with her Aunt, since they get a long very well. As the days go by, the behavior of Aunt Sadie is changing, and she seems to like a completely different person. No one expected this family to fall apart.....

Considering the past of director Lucky McKee, this is his most dramatic film so far. And if you think about how effective his horror films have turned out to be in the past, this is definetely a film that show us a completely new direction for McGee. Is that a bad thing ? I would say no, because if you can go into this film with an open mind, there are some positive things to say about Kindred Spirits. First of all, i was reminded of the 1992 psychological thriller Single White Female. Not that these film have a lot in common, but when you see the behavior of character Sadie, played by actress Caitlin Stasey ( who some of you might recognize from the 2010 film Tomorrow, When The War Began ) you realise that there is something wrong with her, just as the character Hedra Carlson in Single White Female. Caitlin delivers one of the strongest acting performances in this film. The other detail i enjoy about this film, is that we get to follow the lives of three different women, and the challenges they face living in the same home, as they deal with their personal issues. You can sense that everything is falling apart as Sadie takes more control in this family, as if she has planned to cause damage. As the film goes on, you get a sense that Aunt Sadie has a really disturbing personality, who wishes she was young again, and she wants to control everyone around her. Not only that, she even hurt hurself to make it look like she has been attacked. What a lovely family member right? Actress Thora Birch ( who i especially remember from Ghost World ) looks fantastic, and she also deliver a solid performance as the character Chloe. Kindred Spirits does not reach the same quality level as May or The Woman, but i still feel that there is an interesting story here. And with solid performances from the cast, director Lucky McKee manage to show us how a family can fall apart in a simple, but realistic portrait with this tragic story. It is too bad Kindred Spirits in not avaible on DVD or Blu Ray, and just on VOD. For fans of director Lucky McKee, it would have been fun to own a copy of this film, to add to their collection. Still worth checking out, if you enjoy psychological thrillers. Exuse me for a moment, i better make sure i locked my door, just in case my Aunt will surprise me with a visit...…

Rating: DDD