From director Sean King O’Grady (Dinner In America) comes the horror film We Need To Do Something, headed to Blu-ray this June.
In the film, a dysfunctional family retreats to a bathroom during a storm, not knowing the hell that awaits them when they find themselves trapped with the walls closing in.
Sierra McCormick stars as Melissa, a teen with a history of mental illness and a girlfriend who is a witch. John James Cronin plays the role of Melissa’s sheltered, babied little brother. Vinessa Shaw plays the role of a loving mother who puts up with too much shit from their severely alcoholic, verbally abusive father, played by Pat Healy. Being locked in a room with him is enough to drive anyone crazy. As the film unfolds, we see real-life horrors, supernatural ones, and a monster, voiced by Ozzy Osbourne.
There are many witchy themes and unseen horrors, but the real story, the real horrors, is what unfolds in the bathroom between the family. Every character is forced to confront their truths while constantly berated by the father, who is so desperate for a drink that he chugs mouthwash. If you’ve ever spent time with a real alcoholic, you know how cruel they can be while detoxing.
Yes, there are supernatural aspects, but they mostly go unseen, leaving it to our minds to create the monsters for them. There are few significant special effects outside of blood and gore, which I think was clever. What one’s mind can create is far more disturbing than someone in a monster costume. The effects that were used were all pretty solid.
While the film is entertaining, I can’t help but feel like it was a bit incomplete. Witchcraft is involved, but the scenes that feature it are brief, and we never really get an explanation of how it’s connected to the family’s situation.
Something else bugged me, and I know there’s supposed to be suspension of disbelief and all that, but if you were trapped and desperately needed to get out of a room, you would try harder. There are other ways to get out other than a door, and what is going on outside? Sure, I realize escaping is secondary to the interactions between the family, but come on.
While We Need to Do Something has a simple concept, it was executed nicely, and sometimes, simple is better. However, if you’re one of those people who like their endings wrapped up with a bow, the end in this movie may leave you a bit frustrated. But if the human element of horror films interests you the most, this is one you need to see. Luckily you don’t have to wait long; We Need To Do Something comes home on DVD and Blu-ray on June 16, 2022, from RLJE and IFC Midnight.
