I KNOW EVERYONE DEALS WITH DEATH in their own way. This is why I could not say what I thought to my relative. Her mother died at an old age; in other words, she lived a long life. All of us understand that no one lives forever. So, if one can die after living a long quality filled life, it is fortunate or maybe just lucky in my opinion. When her mother died, she was nearly uncontrollable, sobbing and crying for weeks. Granted, it was just the two of them left in their nuclear family, but they had many relatives who were available for support during this time. I do not know how my relative got through the funeral; at one point, a thought crossed my mind that she looked like she was about to jump into the grave with her mother’s casket. It was beyond sad, and all the relatives checked on her for the next few weeks after the funeral. Some offered to stop by and bring in a meal or if she needed groceries, would stop to pick them up and deliver them; however, she did not want anyone over. No one could argue or insist; as I said earlier, everyone deals with grief in their own way. AS TIME PASSED, THE CALLS TO check in with this surviving daughter grew less as people returned back to their own lives. It is understandable because life does go on. However, from what I heard through the family, my relative was still in the grieving process. I heard she was taking a lawn chair, a thermos filled with coffee and two coffee cups with matching saucers to the cemetery. She would set up her chair at her mother’s grave, sit down and pour two cups of coffee. One cup she would place on top of the headstone and the other she balanced on her lap. She would sit there the entire day, sipping coffee while talking to her mother. No one in the family was too alarmed at first; but after a few weeks passed, some of the relatives started asking what we could do to help. She was retired, living in the small apartment she shared with her mother. I found out months after the funeral that my relative could not donate or throw out any of her mother’s belongings. Everything was still in the apartment just as if the mother was still living there, even down to her toothbrush and toothpaste. The relatives were getting more concerned as time passed. I agreed with them, but felt, besides suggesting grief counseling or therapy, there was really nothing we could do. She had the right to do whatever she wanted to do to cope with the situation. At least she did not go the route the main character chose in this mystery, horror, suspense movie. A BROTHER AND SISTER FELT SOMETHING was not right with the boy who they met at their new foster mother’s home. The boy was not the only thing that was odd in the home. With Billy Barrett (Blinded by the Light, Kraven the Hunter) as Andy, Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, The Lost King) as Laura, Mischa Heywood (Dead Eyes, The Wonder Gang-TV) as Cathy, Jonah Wren Phillips (How to Make Gravel, Human Error-TV) as Oliver, and newcomer Sora Wong as Piper; this supernatural story surprised me. Not being a fan of horror films, I was pulled in by the suspense of the script and the cast’s fantastic acting. Already a big fan of Sally Hawkins, I was shocked she was cast in this horror film; but true to her acting skills, she was incredible. There were several scenes with blood and some violence, but they did not distract my attention away from the consistent steady pace of the story and emotional scenes. The story grabbed my attention early on and never let go. In addition, even when scenes dabbled into the supernatural, I remained a believer of the script which did not disappoint me. As I mentioned earlier, this picture was a shock, in a good way. At least for me.
3 1/4 stars