The Wretched (2020) - Big Ideas On A Small Budget

Premiering in mid 2019 at the Fantasia International Film Festival, 'The Wretched' only saw an official release to wider audiences in May of 2020.

The plot revolves around Ben, a rebellious boy who comes to live with his father while his parents are in the midst of a divorce. Whilst trying to find his place he develops an inquisitiveness for his neighbour's unusual behaviour.

With a tiny budget of $66,000 it's incredible how polished it looks and feels. Directed by the Pierce Brothers, you can appreciate this duos aptitude for finding great talent. The casting is smart and the script is well put together. The practical make up effects are executed with finesse. The little bit of CG in the beginning - not as good.

And it's because of those digital FX not being at the same higher standard as the rest of the elements in the first act that I started to have doubts. I'm glad I was ultimately wrong and there's some really interesting imagery in the intro. In fact all the clues are in the opening if you pay enough attention.



At it's heart this film wants to be a mystery. But once we meet our Nancy Drew, it's clear the direction gives way to the scripts imperfections. I want to be scared, believe me - but this film was unclear about how to successfully implement it's horror sub-genre. Hitchcock said it best, '“Mystery is when the spectator knows less than the characters in the movie. Suspense is when the spectator knows more than the characters in the movie.” And constantly changing from mystery to suspense and back again can be exhausting.

But I have to give it props for the unique choices; in character nuances, like the moments our main protagonist Ben is ignored by adults, and in the subtle quick moments that tie-in to support the obligatory 'revelation' moment in the film (revelation soundtrack included).

Speaking of audio - in spite of the unoriginal vocal guttural sounds for the creature there were some interesting sound design choices throughout. I even loved all the music choices but they didn't quite gel. In fact, that's the one flaw here - the different elements (music, direction, cinematography, performances) are all individually impressive - just not cohesive as a single composition.

Minor gripes aside I would definitely recommend this to horror aficionados and lovers of all things scary. Just give it a few minutes and you'll understand witch moments are important.