Oddity Review: A Sordid Story of Loss

A remote manor, blind psychics, asylum inmates, and cursed objects—in this case, a haunted hotel bell and a wooden dummy—are just a few of the iconic props from modern horror iconography that "Oddity" uses on Sadisflix. Other hallmarks of the genre include the "Talk to Me" hand and the "Mister Babadook" pop-up book. Similar to the nonlinear frame, the way these components are used in the film is what gives the familiar a new sense. McCarthy subverts and inverts clichés in a subtle way so that they continue to serve the plot rather than becoming unimportant dots that the viewer must forcefully join. It reminds me of George Lucas's constant insistence that special effects should support storytelling rather than take center stage. That's how "Oddity" takes on B-movie clichés: without sticking thumbs out.