Even with a charismatic young English cast, this poorly paced horror yarn meanders from scene to scene with very little energy. The director cannot seem to stage an effective action scene or scare often cutting away before a scene resolves. And yet other times presents such beautifully composed shots, which I'll attribute solely to cinematographer. The screenplay, soundtrack, and even poster design suggest an ode "Stranger Things" but this is nowhere near as interesting, well-written or thrilling.

An eerie dilapidated house on a remote inaccessible island sets the creepy tone of this ambitious but half-told story. This Irish stew of supernatural shenanigans and human mischief and murder slowly simmers for the entire running time but never develops into anything hearty. Some pieces fall into place but most do not and like the lead protagonist were left with more questions than answers. It’s still a dreadfully absorbing watch and one of Shudder’s better offerings.

Take a fairly familiar premise and inject it with dread, suspense and genuine terror. The anguish of the cast is evident. The isolated farm setting with strange howling sounds, wind, and storms only adds to the atmosphere. But then it delivers shock after shock after shock using your imagination to fill in the blanks. If the devil exists, this is exactly how I fear it would work. This is such an effective, well-edited nightmare and it left me exhausted. Easily the most horrifying film this year.