The Turning

Mackenzie Davis's depiction of trembling fragility and growing dread serves as the film's anchor. She portrays the unique anxiousness of someone out of their depth but desperate to prove capable in her role as Kate, a young governess thrown into the role of caring for two troubled children at a vast, remote estate. The supernatural components are grounded in relatable human terror by her wide-eyed emotions and bodily reluctance.

The setting of oppressive beauty is expertly created by the production design. With its dusty conservatories, dark passageways, and a lake that appears to exude evil, the manor looms with Gothic majesty. The sickening green-grey color scheme used by cinematographer David Ungaro symbolizes decay beneath the luxury. Equally successful is the sound design, which creates tension by absence rather than revelation with creaking floorboards, far-off murmurs, and the eerie skittering of something in the walls.

Brooklynn Prince's portrayal of young Flora is incredibly realistic, striking a balance between unsettling knowingness and childish gentleness. Is she a traumatized victim or something more complicit in her scenes with Davis? With his gloomy hostility and offensive remarks, Finn Wolfhard's Miles generates genuinely unsettling dynamics that allude to both ghostly and human tragedies.

In the end, the film's dedication to ambiguity proves to be its downfall. The Turning withholds so violently that the integrity of the story is compromised, whereas James's novella flourished on constructive ambiguity. Important questions concerning what Kate truly sees vs imagines are still frustratingly unanswered rather than tantalizingly exposed. The screenplay appears unsure of its genre—psychological horror, ghost story, or trauma allegory—and gives no effort to any of them.

The repeated structure hinders the pacing. Kate notices something unsettling, questions herself, confronts the kids, gets vague responses, and so forth. Tension fades into monotony with the third repeat. Additionally, the movie makes extensive use of jump scares that seem artificially added rather than naturally earned figures in mirrors, hands gripping shoulders, and loud noises that take the place of more profound fear.

Without giving away any details, the conclusion attempts bold ambiguity but ends up being a narrative abandonment. It suggests either reshoots or creative hesitation rather than satisfying as a resolution or provoking as purposeful dissatisfaction. Supporting characters, especially Mrs. Grose, the housekeeper, serve as plot devices rather than real individuals and conveniently vanish when Kate needs to be alone for the storyline to work.

Staff:

Directed by: Floria Sigismondi

Written by: Carey W. Hayes and Chad Hayes

Based on: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Produced by: Scott Bernstein and Roy Lee

Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince, and Joely Richardson.

Cinematography: David Ungaro

Edited by: Duwayne Dunham and Glenn Garland

Music by: Nathan Barr

Production companies: DreamWorks Pictures, Vertigo Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment, and Chislehurst Entertainment

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Release date: January 24, 2020

Running time: 94 minutes