The combination of ex-lovers and lingering spirits create a chilling night of suspense in writer/director Vivian Kerr’s psychological gothic drama, Séance. Set in 1892, two couples with complicated pasts find themselves struggling to make sense of their reality, and figure out how to move forward within each of their intimate relationships.

A Conjuring of New Spirits and Old Feelings

Newlywed Emma Strand (Scottie Thompson) is vacationing with her second husband Albert (Connor Paolo) on the beach in California. What should be a time of blissful relaxation for Emma, is instead clouded by depression and confusion. It has been six months since the wedding and Albert has yet to consummate the marriage. As they both attempt to relax on the sandy coastline, Emma sees her first husband George (Jilon VanOver) and his new wife, Lillian (Vivian Kerr). The reconnection between Emma and George is pleasant, perhaps even too friendly for Albert’s liking. The jovial encounter results in an invitation for Emma and Albert to stay with George and Lillian at their mansion to escape a fast approaching storm. If the ominous weather provides any foreshadowing, the evening is not destined to be a smooth one.

Emma and George’s reunion reignites old feelings between them. She even considers having an affair with George to quench her sexual desires that Albert doesn’t fulfill. However, Emma’s marital unhappiness is quickly overshadowed by Lillian’s bizarre claim that the mansion is haunted. Lillian reveals that her recently deceased daughter is trying to send her messages from beyond the grave. What then transpires over the course of the night is a conjuring of spirits, an outburst stemming from emotional desperation, and a tragedy that forever changes the couples’ relationships with each other and themselves.

A Psychological Minefield of Traumatic Circumstances

Unlike a traditional horror film, Séance plays more like a case study that explores the gradual transformation of grief to madness. Through the character of Emma, we see a woman who is fearful of her own thoughts. Her consideration of engaging in adultery, while knowing it’s wrong, elicits feelings of guilt and shame. Using the archetype of a heartbroken childless mother as a vehicle for emotional expression, Lillian’s character channels the physical manifestation of grief. Vivian Kerr’s script is a psychological minefield of traumatic circumstances. Visually, the film is quite dark and in some scenes, it is difficult to distinguish what is happening. However, this choice fits the moody and gothic aesthetic, even though the overall appearance could have benefitted from a few more candles for ambient lighting.

Director’s Statement

“In Séance, we puncture the contained façade of Victorian propriety and dive into the confusion and despair that surrounds our intimate relationships. The film is also an exploration of the “what-ifs” and “could-haves” in our lives. We all lie awake at 3am sometimes thinking of past lovers and missed connections. Are we so sure we’re with the right person? Did we make the wrong choice in ending something or not pursuing someone?

Séance is [also] a story about grief. Just as Emma struggles with her fallibility, so Lillian grapples with guilt over the accidental drowning of her young daughter Hazel. Both women have to learn to forgive themselves in order to move forward, and Albert has to forgive Emma for her indiscretion and himself for his own shame and inability to be fully vulnerable as a husband. Séance offers the idea that perhaps mitigating the terror of marriage is a matter of simply giving and receiving Grace — a forgiveness we must extend both to ourselves and to our partners for the crime of being human, for thinking the occasional dark or salacious thought, and for being afraid to express and confront the feelings we wish we didn’t have.” – Vivian Kerr

Takeaway

This Victorian gothic horror film provides an emotionally gripping experience that feels bigger than its independent roots. Following its limited theatrical release in early October, Séance‘s North American VOD release is on Friday Nov. 13th.