Review: The Crescent is a creepy, low-budget horror film that misses the mark

The Crescent has a lot going for it. Stylishly directed by Nova Scotia-based filmmaker Seth A. Smith, this low-budget ghost story casts a bewildering spell, but is ultimately undone by it’s half-baked performances.

Danika Vandersteen stars as Beth, a recently-widowed artist who moves into a stylish and secluded house on the edge of the ocean with her young son Lowen (played by Smith’s real son Woodrow Graves). Before they even have time to settle in, strange things are afoot — they meet a creepy elderly neighbour (Terrance Murray) who seems a bit too forward with young Lowen, and various strangers begin appearing outside their new home each evening.

Smith employs a deliberately slow pace for the first half of the film, lingering on long shots of Beth and Lowen getting used to their new surroundings. Interspersed with the film are striking close-up images of Beth’s melding paint colours, accompanied by Smith’s throbbing electronic score, a very arthouse choice for a low-budget horror film that elevates The Crescent far-beyond its modest budget.

Much of the suspense from the film is derived from the danger young Lowen is in, a conceit that parents (or those susceptible to images of children in danger) might have trouble getting on-board with. Smith wants the audience to sympathize with, and fear for Lowen — in fact, he is tasked with carrying a large section of the movie on his own, a very risky move on Smith’s part and one that zaps the film of much of it’s energy. Long scenes of Lowen walking around the house end up feeling like home movies, making it very hard to dredge up much sympathy for a child who constantly whines throughout the movie.

Unfortunately, the star of the film doesn’t fare much better — Vandersteen’s reactions to the increasingly disturbing incidents in the film always feel underplayed, like she’s experiencing a minor inconvenience instead of a life-threatening incident. Usually actors in low-budget horror movies overplay their hand, but this level of detachment is just as distracting.

This isn’t to say The Crescent isn’t worth a watch, especially for horror fans. Smith does makes great use of the sparse East Coast landscape, and some of the early scenes are legitimately creepy. The kaleidoscopic paint sequences are stunning, and Smith manages to wrap the film up in a way that tugs at the heartstrings without ever becoming too sappy (a difficult balancing act). Smith definitely has an intriguing style, and if this is what he can do on a micro-budget, he is definitely a filmmaker to watch — he should just avoid casting any more family members next time.