The Kindred - FrightFest 2021

Helen (April Pearson) rushes out of a flat or chased out and hit by a taxi, at the same time that her father commits suicide by jumping out of the his flat. She’s out for a year in a coma. But her baby Heidi survives her husband Greg (Blake Harrison) is there and straight in with the news that he had to sell their house, forcing them into her father’s flat whose suicide is still a mystery and under investigation by Detective Shepherd (Robbie Gee).

In a wheelchair and later on crutches Helen is getting herself back together though the suicide is preying on her mind. So she decides to investigate by speaking to his old friends. One is Frank (James Cosmo) who doesn’t have much to say just that they drifted apart, with secrets that are best left alone. Nevertheless April is now on a mission as she starts to uncover things relating to a series of unsolved murders some years back she draws on priests and a retired detective for help and support. And she’s seeing ghostly children in her flat.

Directed by Jamie Patterson and written by Christian J, Hearn there isn’t a lot left to discover in The Kindred because of the heavy exposition and we get to see the ghosts fairly early on. So we are left with following April as she gets closer to the truth of the matter.
This puts some pressure on Pearson who does well with this character whose mind is in turmoil for much of the time. The film has its up and downs with some pretty good jumps though it feels padded at times and interest starts to wane.

From the title of the film and the first appearance of the infant ghosts you know this going to be a gloomy affair and it doesn’t let you down in that respect. However the introduction of ‘Sackhead’ the serial killer as a boogie man sets it towards an American slasher that maybe doesn’t sit that well within the context of this type of film that relies much more on developing a claustrophobic and mistrustful atmosphere