Oddity (2024)

For the eighth entry in this year’s Halloween Fifteen, I took a look at 2024’s Oddity, a Shudder original written and directed by Damian McCarthy. And let me just say up front — this is the scariest movie I’ve seen all year. If you want to stop reading right now, go stream it on Shudder or pick up the Blu-ray. It’s absolutely worth your time, especially if you’re looking for something genuinely creepy this Halloween season.

The story centers on the murder of Dani Timmins, who’s killed while renovating the home she shares with her husband, Ted (Gwilym Lee). A year later, Dani’s blind twin sister Darcy — played by Carolyn Bracken, who also portrays Dani — unexpectedly visits Ted, who’s now living with his new girlfriend, Yana (Carolyn Menton). Darcy’s arrival, and the strange gift she brings, slowly unravels a chilling mystery that’s best discovered with as little foreknowledge as possible.

Oddity is a slow burn — deliberate, talky, and heavy on atmosphere — but it rewards patience with some of the most effective scares I’ve seen in recent horror. The film doesn’t rely on cheap shocks; instead, it builds unease through tone, tension, and eerie imagery. When the jump scares come, they’re earned and feel like icing on a very unsettling cake. Watching it alone, after midnight with the lights off, was the perfect setup — it genuinely got under my skin.

Carolyn Bracken delivers a standout performance in her dual role, shifting effortlessly between the two sisters and creating a palpable sense of unease. Her scenes with Carolyn Menton as Yana are particularly strong. There’s a simmering tension and loathing between them that’s fantastic to watch. Gwilym Lee, who I later realized played Brian May in Bohemian Rhapsody, is also excellent here, unrecognizable from that role and perfectly cast.

McCarthy, who also wrote and produced Caveat (another Shudder original), clearly has a gift for creating creeping dread. Oddity has that blissfully old-school haunted house feel, but with a modern polish that keeps it fresh. It’s thoughtful, moody, and doesn’t talk down to its audience — a rare combination in horror these days.

If you’re patient with its pace, you’ll be rewarded with an atmospheric, beautifully acted, and thoroughly chilling experience. This one earns my highest recommendation of the Halloween Fifteen so far.