Honeymoon (2014)

Directed by: Leigh Janiak
Country: USA

Movie Review: “Honeymoon” is an atmospheric low-budgeted thriller that marks the debut of Leigh Janiak in direction. The film only counted with four actors, two of them dispensable, and didn’t need spectacular special effects to immerse us in its intriguing mood. The story is centered in Bea (Rose Leslie) and Paul (Harry Treadaway), a freshly married couple that seeks the calm breezes of the woods for a perfect honeymoon. However, what should have been a few relaxing days dedicated to love and leisure, ends up in an anxious journey to the unknown. Following some weird occurrences during the night, Bea mysteriously disappears in the darkness. After Paul finds her, she starts acting differently, forgetful and distant. She states she’s completely fine, blaming sleepwalking, but was that really the motive of her absence? With an efficient camera work and a nice, warming light brightening the frames, “Honeymoon” revealed to be stylish and very attentive to detail. The fear arrives slowly but in a precise way, catching our attention to the puzzle. Lamentably, the conclusions were too obvious to surprise, and the film loses important points in those few final minutes. With a blurred reality, only the video recording of a distant wedding remains. Newcomer filmmaker, Leigh Janiak, who co-wrote the plot with Phil Graziadel, despite the lack of inspiration to finish the story accordingly, shows great aptitude capturing the images and creating ambiance, a fact that I hope could become more fruitful in future works.