By Martin Unsworth
Rosalie (Madeleine McGraw) is a creepy kid. At a funeral, she says she can see the dead man burning in hell. Her parents, Daniel (Will Klipstine, who co-wrote and directed the film) and Theresa (Amanda MacDonald), have home-schooled Rosalie, and are continually moving towns for Daniel’s ‘work’. A seemingly warm welcome to their latest home turns sour when Rosalie is involved in a few incidents with the local children. There’s also a series of murders that begin. Questions are raised, and how does the nearby Native American reservation fit in?
Originally entitled The Harbinger (which makes more sense as the picture pans out), Klipstine’s film is a mess of ideas, going from possession tale to demon without breaking a sweat. Despite that, it’s a fun ride. McGraw is suitably sinister as the budding Wednesday Addams, spouting pronouncements that are more threatening than kooky, but despite the title change, she’s not the story’s primary focus. There are a few genuinely eerie moments amongst the nonsense, however. You bet the impression Klipstine’s story is trying too hard to tick several horror boxes and serve too many masters. It’s only moderately successful, and when it fails, it doesn’t totally derail things.
Overblown but entertaining, familiar but enduring, the story seems rushed despite being just under two hours. The climactic sequence has the feel of the type of movie commonplace in the height of the video rental boom (1978’s The Evil comes to mind). Low-budget films tend to come with a caveat due to their limited resources. The Curse of Rosalie takes advantage of this goodwill, but won’t be for everyone.
The Curse of Rosalie premieres on Icon Film Channel on March 13th and is in selected cinemas on April 14th. DVD and Digital will follow on May 15th.
