Director Elle Callahan
Genre Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Cast Ashleigh Morghan, Isaac Jay, Bevin Bru, Tory Freeth
Rating Unrated
Release Date June 14th, 2019 (Limited)
“A group of college students on a weekend getaway accidentally summon a supernatural entity intent on using them for its deadly ritual.”
Co-written and directed by former sound editor Elle Callahan, her feature film debut, Head Count is a horror thriller that tells the story of a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree desert where some teenagers find themselves under mental and physical assault from a supernatural entity that mimics their appearances as it completes an ancient ritual. First dropping as a limited release film in select theaters, Head Count eventually made it’s way to a much broader audience via the streaming giant Netflix so I was finally able to check it out.
I must say overall I really enjoyed Head Count, putting it more in the category of slow-burn horror films that put the emphasis on the psychological element. An often overlooked aspect of horror films is quality of acting, but this style of film will easily crash and burn without it - and I am pleased to say the acting is pretty solid overall. I’m not overly familiar with the majority of the cast and one of the stars, Isaac Gray, has appeared only in short films before this. As far as I can tell most of the stars have experience on TV and in short films as well. The setting is simple yet picturesque, and I felt like the suspicious dynamic between the characters kept things interesting.
Head Count is a heck of a debut for director Elle Callahan, who has made her way into movies through the sound-editing profession. She utilizes veteran camerawork techniques throughout the film and certainly has a knack for messing with the heads of viewers a bit. I can only assume she had a hand in the sound mixing of the film itself as well as that was top notch throughout the film. She’ll better as she continues to build her resume, and according to her IMDb page she is working on another horror film about witches, so keep an eye out for that.
Head Count isn’t groundbreaking or uniquely terrifying, but it is a well-made horror film that combines tone and atmosphere to make for a some very unsettling scenes. At times it felt like The Invitation, though not quite as good, but it made you look again to make sure you actually did see what you thought you saw. I also felt that the film was paced for well and not overly long, allowing things to unfold naturally and not losing the attention of viewers. it could have been better and I was hoping it would be scarier, but if you’re looking for something dark and well made all things considered, Head Count is a solid option currently streaming on Netflix. Recommended.
