SXSW is full of horror, thriller, and suspense offerings this year - something I, as a fan of these genres, am thankful for. And The Cellar, directed by Brendan Muldowney, was certainly one of my most anticipated selections in this field of feature films. With a mysterious premise and paranormal activity in play, it’s hard not to approach The Cellar with high expectations for a thrilling horror experience. However, the result is underwhelming as the film attempts to capitalize on an ominous tone without the support of a fully developed story.

Only a week after the Woods family moves into an old house they bought from an auction, their discontented daughter, Ellie (Abby Fitz), goes missing. Upon investigating what may have happened to Ellie, her mom Keira (Elisha Cuthbert) begins to suspect something sinister in the cellar may be to blame. This hunch leads her down a rabbit hole of clues that reveal more and more about the house’s history, the cult activities that have taken place, and the evil that is now being imposed on the family.

On paper, the concept with The Cellar sounds fantastic. It’s a premise that seems to set audiences up for a spellbinding ride through a haunted house excursion. However, The Cellar’s script has a difficult time choosing a legend to base this premise on. Bouncing between cult rituals, demonic spirits, and sea monsters, nailing down exactly what mythos the narrative of The Cellar is working towards can be head scratching.

The frustration with the film is only enhanced by the minimal presence of any of the alluded to threats. An ominous score sets the tone of the film, and menacing, low to the ground dolly shots manufacture a spinetingling sense of dread and unease in The Cellar’s most tense scenes. But generating tangible thrills beyond panicking characters proves to be a challenge for the majority of this film, with many sequences building towards a surprise or reveal that often doesn’t manifest.

To that end, The Cellar does offer engaging performances from its cast, especially from Cuthbert. Although what they’re afraid of is oftentimes unspecified and undefined, the belief that there is something to be afraid of in dark rooms and open doors comes through. The Cellar does also come with a few tricks: a counting sequence, for example, works to induce a bone chilling moment not once, but at least twice in the narrative. The third act of the film does, eventually, give the story a final form for what is ultimately terrorizing this family. And the finale does come with a twist. 

But in the end, it’s a game of style over substance for The Cellar. The film checks the boxes for a conventional horror flick with an intriguing premise, a committed cast, and an ominous tone driving the look and feel of the film. But the bones of this production - the lackluster story, the unclear mythology, and inconsistent execution of thrills - subvert The Cellar’s potential of being an exceptional horror experience. It’s an experience that is just okay; one that I don’t regret spending time on, but that I will likely end up storing deep in the cellar of my mind.

Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 1 | Story and Message - 0 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 0 | What does this mean?