You
expect a horror movie not to show all of its cards right away. An audience should be surprised and startled a few times before it has a full grasp of the movie’s story, if not all the mind-bending revelations and plot twists saved for the final act.
But Woe, the first feature film by Matthew Goodhue, keeps a number of cards so close to its chest all the way through the end credits, and it’s all but impossible to figure out what’s happening in this vague creepshow.
All that's apparent is that a seemingly mute character, Charlie (Adam Halferty) is intensely focused on fixing the rundown house of his late father, who committed suicide a year earlier. So caught up is Charlie in sawing and hammering—and burying a mysterious body bag—that he ignores a constantly ringing phone and tunes out efforts by his sister Betty (Jessie Rabideau) and her fiance Benny (Ryan Kattner) to get involved in their imminent wedding. All of that is enough to draw in a viewer, but at that point, some clarity is needed but never comes.
An oddly aggressive uncle hiding in a remote shack tries to warn Charlie that whatever was chasing his dad is now after him, but while he could be clearer about this, he never is. And what is that thing that keeps running around in the shadows? A wraith? At some point, you have to give up on this film, despite fine acting by the cast and the occasional oddball moment that reminds one of David Lynch. Goodhue seems talented; he just needs to remember his audience. Lightly recommended.