Emelie (2016)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Sarah Bolger, Chris Beetam, Carly Adams
Directed by Michael Thelin
A much-needed night away for a couple of parents could arise a bit of trepidation for them when leaving their kids in the care of a babysitter, but when you’re stuck with a new charge for the evening that’s responsible for your youngins… and then finding out she’s a little south of sane-town? Entirely new problem altogether, and that’s the issue on the dissection slab with Michael Thelin’s psychological-thriller, Emilie. Let’s run these scalpels through the autoclave and prepare to cut, shall we?
The Thompsons are a normal wedded duo simply looking for a night away in order to celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary (unlucky number, but who am I to proclaim?). As fate would have it, their routine babysitter has to cancel, which leaves the couple scrambling to find a last-minute replacement – enter Emelie (Bolger), and from all external inspection, she seems like the girl for the job. She has no issue dealing with the Thompsons’ little ones, including little Sally (Adams) and her two brothers, Christopher (Thomas Bair) and Jacob (Joshua Rush), who, frankly, is in SERIOUS need of a little “attitude realignment.” As I alluded to, once the doors are opened, all’s happy in Thompson-town, and the blissful pair are off to wine and dine the night away, possibly a bit nervous, but all in all somewhat secure in the notion that their kids are in good hands… and if this were a Lifetime Network film, I could stop typing, but this is a horror website, for Pete’s sake! We don’t do feel-good stories here – you want a happy ending? Go to an Asian massage parlor!
Okay, back on track – as the night moves along, Emelie’s quickly spiraling behavior is noticed only by Jacob, and his suspicions begin to arise – something’s not kosher, and the kids could be in for a spot of trouble before Mom and Dad’s date night is complete.
It’ll take a while to sift through Emelie’s motives, and when they finally float to the surface, you’ll undoubtedly be asking yourself, “WTF?” However, Bolger’s portrayal of a mentally frayed young lady is certainly worth the price of admission, and alongside a stellar compilation of supporting acts played out by the kids, the roles are well-suited for believability.
If there were a negative aspect, it would be the abandonment of the tense thriller look in the film’s closing moments, rather relying on a more extreme horror display, giving the audience a swerving that didn’t necessarily need to be there. However, it shouldn’t detract from the overall chilling fun that Emelie can deliver, and if anything can be taken away from this film, it’s the idea that plans SHOULD be canceled when a babysitter books off of her regular duties… trust me, the restaurant will still be there a night or two away. Recommended.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
