Caveat: (noun), “a warning, or proviso, of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations.” (Google Dictionary)
If you haven’t seen images of the psychotic looking rabbit toy from Caveat, here you go, and you’re welcome!
Yeah…creepy AF! That disturbing little fella proves to be quite effective in the movie. It basically is the definition of the feel and mood of Caveat, gritty and disturbing.
Caveat, written and directed by newcomer Damian McCarthy (first full-length credit), is one of those movies that may not be that impactful at first. Then, after a day, a couple days, and even a few months, you are still thinking about it. It just gets in your mind and under your skin! At least, that’s what happened to me, and I’m still wondering how to categorize it, review it, or even how much I actually liked it.
I just can’t tell.
One thing that is definitive is that Caveat has an extremely high level of eeriness and is a true oddity. Because of all that, I will always suggest to anyone who listens to watch this film, but you must set the mood in your mind and your surroundings.
Caveat is a movie to be watched with no mental distractions, all lights off, volume up high, and prepare yourself for some weirdness that can possibly amount to straight up chills. Created in the United Kingdom, it is mostly a psychological horror with a few oddly placed bloody drops of supernatural.
The main character, Isaac (Jonathan French), is suffering from amnesia, but he’s not sure what caused bis ailment. He has just been offered a job by his old landlord, and acquaintance, Barret (Ben Caplan). It doesn’t seem like too bad of an offer as, Barret explains, it is just to look after his niece, Olga (Leila Skyes). This is needed as Olga’s father recently killed himself and her mother has disappeared ever since her father died.
However, there are several caveats involved…Thus, the name of the film.
Barret, being the ambiguous person he is, doesn’t explain these caveats up front to Isaac, seemingly taking advantage the guy’s memory disposition. Barret reveals the additional “job requirements” when it is conveniently too late for Isaac to turn back and decline the assignment.
For instance, Barret reveals that the house in which Olga is residing is on a lone isolated island only reachable by a boat ride across a lake. Turns out Isaac can’t swim. Also, Olga has psychological issues that Barret hardly explains, leaving Isaac to discover mostly on his own through strange experiences with the troubled woman. On top of all that, Barret requires Isaac to be chained in a full-chest harness that limits his extent of movement throughout the entire house.
It only gets weirder from there as Isaac and Olga interact awkwardly with each other, being left alone in the secluded house in their…situation. As truths are revealed, which, there are some real sticky secrets going on here, the movie spirals in a slow, tense, uncomfortable progression to a unique climax.
As I already stated, I recommend this movie, and yet I only gave it three Bloody Reels out of five. Don’t misunderstand that to be that I didn’t enjoy Caveat. It has its place among the potential Cult Classic Horror movies that we always talk about. Notice I said potential. There are only a few actors, little to no action, and not much that happens in the breadth of the 88 minutes, and yet it sticks with you leaving a grimy foreboding feeling. The supernatural is minimal, but it is placed properly and just enough to get under your skin. For a low-budget movie that takes place primarily in one location, Caveat was effective on a lot of levels.
Released: 6/3/2021
Rating: Unrated
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
Director: Damian McCarthy (Full Length Directorial Debut)
Writer: Damian McCarthy (Full Length Writing Debut)
Stars:
Jonathan French as Isaac (A Soldier’s Voice (short), I Am an Island (short))
Ben Caplan as Barret (Band of Brothers Series, Stateless, Call the Midwife Series)
Leila Skyes as Olga (Lancaster Skies, Missing Something)
IMDB Rating: 6.0 out of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 48%
Metascore: 60 out of 100
Streamable on these Apps w/ Subscription at time of Blog Post: Shudder
Rentable on these Apps at time of Blog Post: N/A
Caveat Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz_Dh1WPjes
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