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Cast: Amy Manson, James Cosmo, Craig Conway, James Lance, Eileen Nicholas, Nora-Jane Noone, Simon Quartermen
After years of partying abroad, a terrible accident has January (Amy Manson, "Atlantis," "Being Human") confined to a wheelchair, with no memory of her past, her family, or the stately manor that was once her home.
But something isn't right. They say she ran away, but won't tell her why. Her sister wishes she'd never come home. They're locking her in at night. And the way her brother looks at her...
From the Producers of INSIDIOUS and THE DEVIL INSIDE, ESTRANGED is a modern Gothic tale of dark secrets, shocking motives, and a reminder: Blood is thicker than water, and some stains never come out.
"Estranged" tells the story of January, a young woman living in Brazil with her boyfriend. She left home six years ago but is forced to return after getting in a horrific accident with her boyfriend on his motorcycle. Hurt badly and confided to a wheel chair until she heals up but her bigger problem is she was left with no memory of her past. She also doesn't remember the mansion she grew up in or her family.
"Estranged" is a film that gets your attention right from the start, January's family is a bit odd right from the start and the brother asks her strange questions like can you remember the past and will your memory come back? It wasn't so much the questions he asked as it was the way he asked them.
Things get a lot stranger as the film moves along and family secrets are revealed. I am not going to sit here and give away the entire plot because this is one of those films that needs to be seen and not told about. I suggest avoiding any reviews that have spoilers in them before watching the film.
"Estranged" is a beautiful film to look at, it is also strange, creepy and disturbing as well. It also has a huge about of mystery about it because it doesn't give away it's many secrets until later in the film. It builds to the climax slowly as January begins to find out what happened while she was away.
The film has so much going for it starting with a well-written, clever story. The mansion is also vital to the story because it creates just the right about of atmosphere needed, it ups the creepiness meter by a lot. And the cast is another reason the film is so good, Amy Manson is terrific as January and James Cosmo stands out as the over bearing father. The rest of the cast all give solid performances as well.
"Estranged" is more a psychological thriller than a horror film but that doesn't make it any less frightening. Right from the start it gets in your head and before long it is under your skin as well. It’s the kind of film that makes you uneasy and it leaves you thinking about it long after it is over. Available on DVD and Blu-ray with Special features that include:
Making Of
You can order the DVD HERE and the Blu-ray HERE.
I highly recommend this to all fans of horror and thrillers, it will keep you at the edge of your seat the entire time. Original, clever and disturbing, you can't go wrong by picking this up.
Released by Well Go USA
**** Out Of *****