The Luring is a horror movie from 2019 that tells the story of Garrett (Jake Katzman), a successful businessman from the city who inherits a lighthouse on the coast of Maine after the death of his father. Although he has not visited the place since he was a child, he decides to bring his girlfriend Allie (Michaela Sprague) and his brother Noah (Gavin Maddox Bergman) with him to assess the property and decide what to do with it.
As soon as they arrive, strange things begin to happen. The lighthouse has a dark history, and the three of them start experiencing hauntings and hallucinations that seem to be connected with a mysterious woman who lived in the lighthouse in the past. Garrett becomes obsessed with the woman and the story of her death, and as he tries to uncover the truth, the lines between reality and nightmare begin to blur. Allie and Noah, on the other hand, start questioning their own sanity as they struggle to find a way out of the lighthouse and the strange forces that seem to be trapping them there.
The Luring is a slow-burning horror movie that relies on mood and atmosphere to create a sense of unease and dread. The setting of the lighthouse is claustrophobic and isolated, and the filmmakers make the most of it by using tight shots and dark lighting to obscure the characters' surroundings and suggest that there is something lurking in the shadows. The sound design is also effective, using creaking doors, dripping water, and eerie music to keep the audience on edge.
The performances are solid and believable, particularly from Jake Katzman, who carries the weight of the movie on his shoulders. His character, Garrett, is not particularly likable, but he is relatable in his sense of unease and vulnerability. Michaela Sprague and Gavin Maddox Bergman are also good as Allie and Noah, who serve as the more grounded characters that the audience can identify with. They provide some much-needed humor and warmth to the movie, which can be quite bleak and oppressive at times.
The Luring is not a movie that relies on cheap scares or gore to frighten its audience. Instead, it explores the psychological horror of guilt, trauma, and obsession. The movie is smart enough to give its characters believable motivations and backstories that inform their actions and contribute to the overall sense of unease. The story unfolds slowly and deliberately, building tension and layers of mystery as it goes along.
One of the movie's strengths is its use of symbolism and foreshadowing. There are several recurring motifs throughout the movie, such as the lighthouse and the sea, that are used to hint at the characters' fates and the nature of the horror that they are facing. The cinematography is also effective in this regard, using framing and composition to suggest hidden meanings and subliminal messages.
However, The Luring is not without its flaws. The pacing can be uneven at times, with some scenes feeling too long or dragging on without much happening. There are also some characters and plot points that feel underdeveloped or underutilized, which can lead to a lack of emotional investment in the story. Finally, the ending of the movie is a bit ambiguous and may leave some viewers unsatisfied or confused.
In conclusion, The Luring is a solid horror movie that relies on atmosphere and psychological horror to create a sense of unease and dread. While it may not be for everyone, fans of slow-burning horror movies that value mood and symbolism over jump scares and gore should give it a chance. The movie's strengths lie in its performances, its setting, and its use of symbolism and foreshadowing. While it may have some pacing issues and underdeveloped characters, it is still an effective and haunting horror experience.
The Luring is a 2020 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes.
It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 3.3.