The Banishing (2020) takes place in the 1930s and follows a vicar who moves into Morley Hall with his wife, Marianne, and stepdaughter, Adelaide, who they say is her niece; the reason is explained. Soon things start coming undone in the house as Adelaide starts talking to “no one,” and Marianne starts hallucinating.
I found an exploitation element to this film surprising as it isn’t the norm for a haunted house story. It was an excellent addition to this already frightening movie. The effects are minimal but well used, not making it over-the-top or cheesy. Some strange elements involved an occultist, who I assumed was a grifter. When I read some information about this film, I learned that the character Harry Reed was inspired by Harry Price, one of the first “ghost hunters.”
Another thing that surprised me was the Nazi influence in this tale, as I didn’t know the timeframe when I started watching it. Once I realized the period, it made more sense. And that brings me to the ending that I’m still unsure about, but that didn’t hinder anything I’d seen.
The Banishing is an excellently executed film, and I gave it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
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