Retreat

Filmmaker Christopher Newberry’s psychologically twisted UK horror Retreat sends some weird vibrations into the ether with profoundly chilling results.

Mother Jane (Denise Wilton) and her son Jamie (Harry Walters) journey to a “mindset retreat” in the hopes of finding a happier and more positive life following a family death four years earlier. Once at the retreat, Jamie meets Sophia (Izzy Kidd), the much vexed daughter of the host and the pair share an exasperated outlook on the world that’s completely at odds with the aims of everyone else in their company.  Whilst escaping from an unhappy home life may have seemed idyllic, Jane’s wayward behaviour and promiscuity embarrass Jamie no end and reveal a darkness in their past, which may just come to a head in their weekend getaway.

With a sinister atmosphere and emotional grounding through the central mother-son relationship, Retreat plays out on familiar territory for horror movie fans who will relish the suspenseful and macabre proceedings. The creepy daytime cult feel is reminiscent of Midsommar and yet Newberry’s piece sparks a different type of excitement in the viewer by being more focused on what baggage the guests are bringing with them than what antics the hosts have in store.

The sound design is proficiently disturbing, with some fantastic acoustic and pop-rock music punctuating the film, amplifying the tension and also counteracting the seemingly dark and sometimes depressing tone of the story. Viewers are also given montage sequences and, in the latter stages of the film, some surreal imagery to keep things spicy throughout.

Denise Wilton displays an impressive variety in her performance as Jane, a character plagued by familial drama but reckless in her antics, which Wilton seems to be having a ball carrying out. Harry Walters is solid as the moody teenager Jamie, bringing a believable indifference to the outlandish behaviour of his mother, the retreat’s guests, and the bizarre host. Izzy Kidd is cool and confident as Sophia, rocking a baddass attitude for most of the scenes she’s in with laudable skill.

By exploring themes of positive thinking, generational trauma, and the fallout of grief, all within a “weekend away” structure, Retreat is able to inject a palpable momentum into the story which could otherwise have been spilled out over weeks and months. The fact that we, as an audience, are coming with them on this particular trip is purposeful;  we are constantly looking for signs and clues to unpick the clearly odd history of this mother and son. Newberry brilliantly gets us into a state of panic where no amount of neuro linguistic programming or yoga can help.

“Always be aiming…”.

Watch my Video Film Review of Retreat on TikTok.