The debut feature from Hayden Hewitt (Lips) is an unflinching kitchen sink horror that delivers both visually and emotionally.
Cara (a fantastic Elle O’Hara) is eking out an existence in a shared flat, doing webcam ‘shows’ to make ends meet. She attends a group therapy session with people she doesn’t relate to and is abused by people who feel they can buy her. She’s also determined not to return to the institution she left. She teams up with the manipulative John Fisk (a gloriously nasty turn from Johnny Vivash) to concoct a plan that’ll stop that and pay back in the most extreme way those who have had a hand in causing her mental issues.
Cara is a strong and disturbing picture of 21st-century England. There are no doubt problems like these in every estate in the country. We only hope the outcome for the real people isn’t as brutal. Cara’s life is bleakly realistic, and the ‘horror movie’ elements are depicted in a viciously natural manner. This is no exploitation film, no matter how gory things get. Although she’s a victim of her circumstances, it’s difficult not to sympathise with Cara, which is a testament to Elle O’Hara’s commitment to the role. Likewise, Johnny Vivash once again proves he’s one of the most versatile character actors in the UK. The supporting cast deserves praise, too. James Dreyfus, as the social worker who draws the short straw of having Cara as a client, perfectly depicts the weary, tick-boxing drone who has had all his empathy kicked out of him by a broken system. There are also small but pivotal performances from Laurence R. Harvey as a cafe owner and Michaela Longden as Cara’s suffering flatmate.
The themes raised by Cara are often hard to face head-on, and the outcome difficult to stomach, with Hewitt pushing the audience to breaking point along with the titular character. The dialogue is unflinchingly believable and could see Hewitt being the Ken Loach of horror.
CARA is set for a digital release on Feb 17th. Read our interviews with actors Elle O’Hara and Johnny Vivash and writer/director Hayden Hewitt.
