PROCLIVITAS

After the sudden death of her mother, Clare (Rose Riley), a doctor and recovering opioid addict, returns to her childhood home to prepare it for sale. The old two story house has been closed up for 15 years and is in need of some TLC. It frequently gives Clare the heebie-jeebies and the uneasy feeling that she’s being watched. While attempting to remain sober in a place filled with triggers, she reconnects with her teenage boyfriend Jerry (George Mason). Their rekindled romance unlocks Clare’s suppressed memories and sees the manifestation of a malevolent entity that feeds on her fragile mental state. Jerry’s sister and local police officer, Tara (Hayley McElhinney), has trepidation about the couple reuniting, but her warnings fall on deaf ears. As Clare’s visions increase, she’s forced to confront whether they are a symptom of her relapse or a genuine haunting from an incident in her past. Filmed around Perth and the Mundaring Hills, the iconic Australian bush creates a sense of isolation and growing foreboding. Dark, shadowy cinematography combined with superb use of lighting and sharp sound (I loved the inclusion of pobblebonk frogs croaking) drive the terror and emphasise Clare’s descent into its clutches. While there are elements of horror, they are matched with an emotional depth that creates genuine viewer intrigue. Made with an all-female West Australian creative team, writer/director Miley Tunnecliffe has crafted an unnerving film that puts a haunting spin on the impacts of grief, guilt, and addiction. It complements ‘The thing with feathers’ which also presents grief in an aggressive and impactful way. A homegrown home run.