Separation, directed by William Brent Bell and written by Nick Amadeus and Josh Braun, mixes the family drama of Kramer vs. Kramer with the symbolism seen in ghost stories like The Haunting of Hill House, with some imagery that feels more akin to Insidious or The Conjuring 2. Separation has the potential to set up a horror drama that uses its ghosts to represent the distress of its main characters, like in the critically acclaimed The Babadook. And while it doesn't stick the landing, there are moments of intrigue and heart thanks to Rupert Friend and Violet McGraw's depiction of a father-daughter relationship in the midst of a family tragedy turned haunting.
The film follows the unravelling of Jeff (Friend) and Maggie's (Mamie Gummer) marriage and the custody battle over their young daughter, Jenny (McGraw). Maggie is the only one earning money while Jeff is unemployed and trying to reignite his art career, as he formerly created a series of Tim Burton like characters that almost made him a major success. His inability to grow up and lack of an income works in Maggie's favor, but she dies in a hit and run accident before custody is settled.
For the first 20 minutes of the film, Separation focuses on these family issues without the introduction of any supernatural elements, aside from the hauntingly whimsical puppets Jeff created for Jenny. This may seem too drawn out for those wanting a more classical haunted house story, but the heart of Separation is Jenny and Jeff's relationship. Seeing this father come to terms with potentially losing his daughter tugs at the heart, even though he is far from being the best dad. The set up and follow through of Jeff's parental growth feels realistic and is refreshing in the horror genre; although, it would've been nice to see Jeff as an even bigger man child before this realization.
Too often parental figures disregard the genuine fears and issues brought up by the victims in horror movies, but there are a few exceptions, with Separation being one of them. It's refreshing to see a father listen to his daughter and take her concerns seriously. While this may seem like a small detail, it has lasting effects throughout the film, as audiences understand how Jeff can be a good dad. Plus, having someone take the supernatural forces seriously right off the back opens the door for unique storytelling instead of retelling the tired tale about a man in denial until the supernatural threat goes too far.
Unfortunately, while the father-daughter dynamic shines in Separation, the supernatural elements simultaneously try too hard without trying enough. The imagery is there, proving once more that puppets can be disturbing despite their innocent intent; however, these charmingly creepy dolls are under utilized, which is tragic because there is a parallel that could be made between how Jeff initially focused more of his time on his fictional children while Maggie focused on their actual child.
It also makes sense why the supernatural threats in Separation would resemble the characters Jeff, created since at times the images haunting him represent his inner demons. However, sometimes the movie wants to be literal about its ghosts, and other times it wants to be metaphorical, which makes the rules of the supernatural too muddy.
Separation does show restraint when necessary, not relying on overused jump scares to create tension. Instead, its the circumstances and characters that create an uneasy tone, but the same can't be said for the literal ghosts haunting the family, especially when they fall back on the more conventional supernatural tropes -- especially toward the end. This also applies to moments where the film wants to shock its audience, as Separation includes a few twists that may take you by surprise in the moment, but they're rather lackluster, being predictable without commiting to a good set up.
Separation could have either gone for a nuanced family drama that happened to have ghosts or it could've been an over the top haunted house film with a plethora of unique ghouls and wild twist, but instead it shoots for the middle. While this gives audiences a taste for both approaches, neither party will feel fully satisfied, wanting Separation to commit to either approach while using its unique ghost designs and talented cast to their fullest extent.
Co-written by Nick Amadeus and Josh Braun and directed by William Brent Bell, Separation stars Rupert Friend, Violet McGraw, Madeline Brewer, Mamie Gummer and Brian Cox. The film debuts in theaters on April 30.