Oddity (2024) | A Curious Creepy Rarity

Oddity is a movie that I’ve seen floated about on various horror lists as a movie worth seeing. Aside from the fact that it’s an Irish movie, I knew nothing else about it or what to expect. When the credits rolled, I sat thinking about the experience and struggled to come up with anything I didn’t like about it.

Pros

Effective creepy moments and jump scares scattered throughout
Good acting from the cast
Intriguing mystical elements of the story to make you curious
A somewhat unique story that has some surprising conclusions

Cons

Pacing feels a little slow in some spots

Plot & Thoughts

Dani Timmins (Carolyn Bracken) is renovating an old castle in a secluded part of Ireland. Her husband is working late at a mental hospital, so she’s by herself tonight. Suddenly, a man with a deranged look and a glass eye comes to her door, warning her that someone is inside the castle with her. She is not sure to trust him, for obvious reasons, but unfortunately for her, she does not survive the night. Some time passes, a man is killed by some mysterious creature, and Dani’s husband, Ted (Gwilym Lee), visits her blind twin sister Darcy (Carolyn Bracken) at her antique store. He brings her the glass eye of the man in the opening scene so that Darcy can inspect it and commune with the spirits to potentially see the night of her sister’s death. While there, he discloses that he’s been seeing someone else and that she should stop by some time to meet her over dinner. He didn’t mean within the next few days, but she takes him up on his offer because suspicion has been raised in her mind from this new development, and she’s determined to find out what actually happened to her sister.

Oddity is an effective horror movie that balances its creepiness with its mystery. The acting and dialogue keep things vague enough to make you intrigued without being too obtuse to be unable to follow along with what is happening. As the audience, we get to see the mystery unravel about what happened to Dani, who was involved, and what Darcy is capable of with her mystical abilities. We’re privy to more details than Darcy at times, but she never comes across as a woman who is not informed in her decision-making. As a result, it’s an intriguing cat-and-mouse game in which we’re waiting to see who will come out on top.

While the mystery is the main focus of Oddity, it has some good horror moments as well. The way the scenes are shot sets up shocking moments, and it delivers them in spades. The scene involving the camera in the bedroom has brief but creepy imagery. The unusual golem sculpture is off-putting whenever it’s on screen. The opening scene and its continuation are unsettling. Oddity does a great job at keeping things creepy without getting too explicit, so you’re never quite sure what to expect until the film ends.

And that’s all I’m really willing to say about the movie, other than it’s really good and you should see it. The less you know about what is going on before going in, the more surprising the experience will be. Oddity does not rely on twists to complete the experience, but it feels like a more unique experience if you just see it for yourself without spoiling anything.

TL;DR

Oddity stands out as a movie that provides a unique horror mystery; it’s difficult to classify. The relatively small cast does a great job with the material. The mystery is intriguing and made more so through intentionally awkward or complex dialogue exchanges and the mystical powers that Darcy seems to have. The occasional jump scare and creepy moment set an ominous tone and atmosphere to the setting and story. Worth a watch for any horror enthusiast.

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