WITHIN

US, 2016, 88 minutes, Colour.

Michael Vartan, Erin Moriarty, Nadine Velazquez, Ronnie Gene Blevins, JoBeth Williams, Dorian Kingi, Blake Jenner.

Directed by Phil Claydon.

The basic outline of this horror thriller is very familiar. A family moves, mother, father, teenage daughter – and clashes within the family. Then eerie sounds are heard, disruptions, cupboards needing shutting. Which means then that this is a haunted house variation. There is a revelation that there were murders in the house, the father not telling his wife and daughter to avoid upset. Further investigation reveals the nature of the deaths of the family, further information about an unknown brother who suffered from agoraphobia, and his psychological reports indicate that he has imaginations of homicide.

Which means then that the film works on the level of ordinary family life – in fact the opening 30 minutes which, in view of what is to happen, does slow the impact down. There are some unexpected twists, the revelation of the person in this crawlspace and then, the violent attacks – and, cleverly written, the final deaths repeating the pattern of the deaths of the previous family.

The film was written by Gary Dauberman who had written Annabelle but was to go on to write further Annabelle films and The Nun as well as prominence with the screenplays for Stephen King’s It and its sequel as well as Salem’s Lot.

1. The title? Originally Crawlspace? The tagline – you can’t keep out what is already within?
2. The city, the suburbs, the streets, the house, interiors, rooms, garage, attic, crawlspace? Atmospheric score?
3. The familiar situation, the family, the father out of work, employment, moving house, the daughter upset and missing her friends, grounded, the wife adapting? Buying the house, settling in, furnishing? Ordinary situations?
4. Eerie suggestions, sounds, nails falling out of walls, the audience seeing coverlets being removed, sinister presence?
5. The focus on Hannah, her age, contact with her boyfriend, his visit, the sexual encounter, the aftermath? His being killed by a David? Hannah, clashes with her father, reliance on her mother? The encounter with Ray, her camera, the images on the camera, its disappearance, reappearance? In the garage, going through the boxes, the photos, the drawings
6. information about the house, the murders in the house, the photo, killing of the mother, hanging the father, the attack on the daughter near the front door – and the way this was resumed for the final climax of the film? Effective?
7. Ray, the locks, into the house, more expensive blocks, his resentment, coming into the house, spying on Hannah? His unexpected death?
8. Hannah and the attic, sense of the presence, her father checking? During the night, the refrigerator, each drinking the milk? The parents out, the drink spiked, her father’s anger with her?
9. Information about the family, the neighbour and her explanations, the revelation of the brother, the certificates and information, agoraphobia, ideations murder?
10. The attack, the presence, in the attic, in the crawlspace? His attacking Hannah, confining, her breaking free, climbing, in the attic? The police, the dead policeman, being taken away, the family thinking they were free? The decision to go to a motel?
11. The final attack, the hanging of the father, the death of the mother, the confrontation between Hannah and David?