Simon Barrett is a name you should be familiar with. He has written a number of films, most notably the stretch of Adam Wingard’s films from A Horrible Way To Die through Blair Witch. In 2021, Barrett made his directorial debut with Seance.
Seance is a perfect blend of urban legend meets bitchy schoolgirls; think Pretty Little Liars playing Bloody Mary. The cast was composed of actors I did not recognize, which isn’t uncommon for lower budget horror films. However, they all did a great job & I was fully invested into the characters. The film itself is fairly straightforward, however meanders a bit while ultimately arriving at a fun payoff at the end. One unique aspect is Barrett’s use of extremely wide angle lenses, which distorted the edges of the frame. It’s a very engaging, competent film from a first time director using (an assumed) small budget. Will definitely watch whatever he makes next.