I Watch Films: Cathy's Curse

 

Cathy’s Curse

30 years ago George Gimble was taken away from the family home by his mother. In a rage his father crashes the car into a snowbank (this is in Canada) killing himself and George’s sister Laura. Now George and his family return to the family home. His wife Vivian had a miscarriage and is suffering from depression. His daughter Cathy finds an old doll and a picture of Laura. Vivian makes some local friends, Paul an elderly man with stories of the neighbourhood and a Medium (unnamed?). The Medium has a vision of Laura and her father’s death.

Cathy becomes cruel to the local children, including having telekinetic powers. Mary, the nanny and housekeeper falls down the stairs and dies. Vivian becomes more depressed by this. The Medium visits, finds Cathy in the attic, has a vision of herself dying. Cathy tries to kill herself by jumping in the river, only to be saved by George, back home from work on time for once.

The doctor can’t work out what’s wrong (nor is he much help with Vivian, a less forgivable failure). Vivian and the Medium think she’s possessed but George dismisses this. Inevitably this moves to a horrifying conclusion.

This is atmospheric, with a few good scenes. Mostly though it’s about hanging about in a spooky house getting depressed or taking out your frustrations on the neighbourhood kids.

Watch This: Spooky Canadian horror
Don’t Watch This: Children hurt, long empty stretches of film