Anguish

Anguish is a 2015 horror film directed by Sonny Mallhi and starring Ryan Simpkins, Annika Marks, and Karina Logue. The film is about a young girl named Tess who struggles with mental illness and experiences terrifying hallucinations. As her condition worsens, she begins to question whether her visions are really just in her head, or if they have a more sinister origin.

The movie begins with Tess (played by Ryan Simpkins) and her mother Jessica (Annika Marks) moving into a new house in a small town. Tess is a quiet and reserved girl who suffers from anxiety and depression, but her mother tries to be supportive and help her cope with her illness. However, things take a dark turn when Tess starts seeing disturbing images and hearing voices that no one else can hear.

At first, Jessica thinks that Tess is just experiencing a relapse of her mental illness, but it becomes clear that something more sinister is at play. Tess's visions become more intense and she starts to believe that she's being possessed by the spirit of a girl who died in a car accident. She becomes convinced that her only hope for salvation is to find the girl's body and give her a proper burial.

As Tess's mental state deteriorates and her behavior becomes more erratic, her mother becomes desperate to help her. But as Tess's visions become more vivid and terrifying, Jessica begins to question whether her daughter's madness is contagious and whether she herself is in danger.

The film is a tense and unsettling exploration of mental illness and the blurred line between reality and perception. It's a slow burn horror movie that relies more on atmosphere and psychological terror than gore and jump scares. The performances of Simpkins and Marks are both excellent, with Simpkins in particular delivering a convincing portrayal of a young girl struggling with serious mental health issues.

One of the standout elements of the film is its use of sound design and cinematography to create a sense of unease and disorientation. The camera work is often slightly askew, with shots framed at odd angles that contribute to the film's sense of disorientation. The sound design is similarly effective, with eerie whispers and strange noises that add to the film's creepy atmosphere.

Overall, Anguish is a well-crafted and thoughtful horror movie that explores important themes around mental health and the nature of reality. It's not a typical horror film, but its slow burn approach and emphasis on psychological terror make it a compelling and unsettling watch. Fans of atmospheric horror and psychological thrillers will definitely want to check this one out.