Hedonistic pianist Boyd (Chris Colfer) constantly makes a point of pissing off his mother, the acid-tongued Jacqueline (Alice Krige). When she discovers his latest same-sex one night stand, he announces he’s leaving the mansion and opulence he’s been living in, much to his mother’s annoyance, as she’s determined to keep the Grayson lineage going. Then his hands are severed in a freak accident, and Jacqueline brings in a surgeon to restore her son’s missing mitts.
A mix of Gothic drama, The Hands of Orlac, and savage black comedy with a touch of Saltburn energy, The Restoration at Grayson Manor is a fast-talking nightmare that might not necessarily be scary, but certainly has its fair share of horror. It’s populated with outrageously over-the-top characters, all of whom are completely unlikable but somehow so sympathetic that we can’t help rooting for them while not picking sides.
Director (and co-writer alongside Clay McLeod Chapman) Glenn McQuaid’s first movie in over a decade is an assured affair that features amazing performances from Krige and Colfer and layers the madness as it goes along. The sharply written vitriolic exchanges are delivered with gusto, and once things progress into murderous territory, the balance of gore and humour lands perfectly. Everything is delightfully camp, from the Addams Family-esque sight of the disembodied hands roaming the mansion to the acidic bickering of the matriarch and her son, regardless of who’s around; an early sequence hilariously has Jacqueline scolding Boyd in front of his naked conquest, whose increasing embarrassment becomes painstakingly cringeworthy.
Ultimately, McQuaid has delivered a superb satire on self-obsessed, privileged life and heritage mixed with old-school mad scientist horror. It’s one destined to gain a cult following.
THE RESTORATION AT GRAYSON MANOR screened at FrightFest Glasgow 2026.
