While modern blockbuster horror films rely heavily on jump scares and CGI monsters, independent horror continues to bring originality and plenty of surprises to a fairly exhausted but beloved genre. Part of the latter is Caveat, a highly suspenseful but confused thriller that keeps building its tension, but never makes its intent completely clear. The film plays out like a gritty non-linear drama, akin to Memento, while hinting at supernatural horrors lurking in the distance. Caveat is an interesting puzzle, but it doesn't have enough up its sleeve to be a new modern suspense classic. However, the twisty film does have something to say, even if it may take the viewer a bit of time to fully wrap their head around exactly what that is.
The debut feature film of Damian McCarthy, Caveat tells the claustrophobic story of Isaac, a drifter suffering from memory loss, who is hired by his landlord to check in on his mentally unwell niece. What Isaac is not told about this job is that he will be stranded on an isolated island and locked up in strange body armor. As Isaac spends his night in the dark and mysterious house with the landlord's niece, Olga, he realizes this is not the first time he was in this house and he may have been involved in something dark before he lost his memory.
Caveat's strongest aspect is its ability to build suspense. From the moment Isaac arrives on the island, we know things aren't as they seem. The audience is just as clueless about the truth as Isaac is, which creates an experience just as disorientating for us as it is for him. Since everything is so vague, it feels as though anything can happen to Isaac. Every time Isaac enters a dark space or an unidentifiable noise is heard, it feels unpredictable, which elevates the suspense factor throughout the film. There is a plot happening in front of Isaac's eyes, but because of his memory loss, he doesn't know anything that's happening around him, and the movie does a good job of emulating the experience and unease of memory loss.
At its heart, the film is a mystery that will leave many viewers scratching their heads, trying to figure out what ties the movie together. While Caveat feels closer to a slow-burn crime thriller than a horror film, there are several small indications that the film is dealing with supernatural elements at its core. Arguably the most memorable aspect of the film is the inclusion of a small toy rabbit that beats a little drum seemingly on its own. In some scenes, it seems as though the characters are actually communicating with this toy rabbit, causing the audience to question if that rabbit isn't actually the root of all the conflict in the film. The rabbit is extremely unsettling every time it's shown and has what it takes to become iconic with time. However, the brooding supernatural elements are not utilized effectively.
The performances by the two stars, Jonathan French and Leila Sykes, drive the film. French portrays Isaac as an average Joe who is randomly thrust into these frightening events. As the film goes on, and the audience learns about his memory loss, it becomes obvious that French's portrayal feels just like an everyday man because the character is actually a blank canvas. The viewer will need to pay attention to detail in order to notice all of the subtle nuances in French's performance. His chemistry with Sykes is impeccable as well. Every time she is on screen, it's hard not to be on the edge of your seat. Her character is extremely mysterious and peculiar but also is the only character that seems to fully understand what is going on around her. Sykes portrays an unstable hero perfectly.
All of the pieces in Caveat work, but by the time the end credits roll, everything still feels extremely vague. This may be a film that requires repeated viewings, but there are so many red herrings and possible clues to the true meaning of the ending, that it's a bit disappointing when nothing is explained, even visually. Caveat works as a slow-burn thriller for the most part, but in the end, the way events are tied together is too loose to feel fully satisfying.
Written and Directed by Damien Mc Carthy, Caveat stars Ben Caplan, Jonathan French, and Leila Sykes. The film will be available to stream on June 3, exclusively on Shudder.