Helen (April Pearson) has awoken from a coma caused by an accident outside her father’s flat. Heavily pregnant, she was knocked down after seeing her dad plummet to his death in front of her. She was lucky enough to have the baby while unconscious, her husband Greg (Blake Harrison) bringing the little girl up until she recovers. Unfortunately, while she was in the hospital, Greg had to sell their house since they fell behind with the mortgage. So he moved them into the flat she grew up in, which is far from ideal. While trying to regain her strength, Helen tries to remember what happened before her dad’s suicide and begins to see the ghosts of children in the flat. Could her father have been a murderer?

With a heavyweight supporting cast such as James Cosmo, Patrick Bergin, and Samantha Bond, you’d think this would be powerful stuff, and for the most part, it is. The subject is traumatic and harrowing, but unfortunately, the handling is a little lacking. Following a strong first act, things resort to cheap jump scares and unlikely plot developments. However, it almost redeems itself with the shocking climax.

Director Jamie Patterson doesn’t seem to want to commit to making a horror movie, and as such, when the shocks come, they are contrived and obvious. The main character’s recovery speed is unbelievable, as is her jump to bringing a psychic investigator into the flat. He’s depicted by Steve Oram, who only adds unwanted and unintentional comedy and is completely out of place with anything else seen before and after.

There’s a good story in The Kindred, but unfortunately, it misses the mark more than it hits.

The Kindred is available in limited theatres and on VOD in the US.