Emelie

Emelie is a gripping and haunting horror-thriller released in 2015, masterfully directed by Michael Thelin with an eerily impressive performance by Sarah Bolger. The film also includes remarkable performances from Carly Adams and Elisha Ali.

The story revolves around a regular suburban family, the Thompsons, consisting of two working parents and their three children. The straightforward plot folds itself into a tale of eeriness when the parents decide to go out on their anniversary, leaving their children in the hands of a new babysitter.

Sarah Bolger, known for her memorable roles in TV shows like 'The Tudors' and 'Once Upon a Time', takes a sharp detour from her frequent characters in Emelie, demonstrating a diverse range as an actress. She essays the role of Anna, a seemingly friendly and warm-hearted babysitter, who shows up at the Thompson’s house.

Being their first time with Anna, the children Jacob (Joshua Rush), Sally (Carly Adams), and Christopher (Thomas Bair) initially appear to be in safe hands. However, things start to take a bizarre turn as the night unfolds, and it soon becomes clear that something is terribly amiss with the polite and smiling Anna. The children, once feeling secure and safe, are now left to fend for themselves against their babysitter.

Elisha Ali makes her theatrical debut in Emelie as the Thompson's friend, giving a meaningful and mature performance belying her newcomer status. She is among the people who slowly start to notice the unusual actions transpiring in the seemingly normal suburban home.

One of the movie’s biggest strengths is how it explores the relationship dynamics between siblings. The oldest child, Jacob, portrays a commendable maturity for his age and provides an enticing character study. The younger siblings, Sally and Christopher, bring an element of innocence and vulnerability to their roles, which heightens the eerie atmosphere.

Emelie is a film that builds its suspense not through jump scares or graphic violence usually found in horror-thriller genre, but through the slow and creeping realization of the truth. The quiet and normalcy of the American suburbia is shown as a stark contrast to the horror unfolding within the confines of a cheerful family home, which establishes a realistic sense of dread and discomfort.

Sarah Bolger's performance is particularly noteworthy, as she nails her character’s unease and unsettling aura, implicitly conveying that something is profoundly wrong. Her portrayal of Anna makes her one of the more memorable antagonists of the horror-thriller genre. The eeriness isn’t because she’s a larger-than-life monster unleashed upon an unsuspecting family, but rather, due to her intensely uncanny portrayal of an everyday figure placed in an ordinary setting. This makes her role as the babysitter genuinely horrifying.

Visually, Emelie is ingenious, using the laid-back ambiance of suburban décor to enhance the eerie undertones of its story rather than adding cheap jump scares. The suspense is not in the unseen, but rather in the unsettlingly seen; the creeping dread of ordinary places illuminated by faint lamplight or the shadows that dance across childlike items of comfort.

Emelie is a film that can grip you with its chilling narrative. It takes the innocent concept of a babysitter and subverts it into an eerie thriller. It truly shines in its character development, set-up, and the portrayal of what happens when the security of a safe environment is shattered.

The movie is an engrossing take on the physiological thriller/horror genre, creating a terrifying atmosphere with the help of exceptional storytelling, aided by a terrific cast led by Bolger, and added with an element of reality. From start to finish, Emelie will keep you on the edge of your seat, making you question the safety of your own homes in the hands of a stranger.

For those who love films that blend everyday normalcy with a touch of malevolent suspense, Emelie offers an uncomfortably realistic scenario capable of provoking both thought and goosebumps. It is indeed a haunting exploration of the fears that can nestle within the very heart of domestic bliss.