Anything for Jackson

Looking closely at the filmography of director Justin G. Dyck, Anything for Jackson stands out as a special case because it is so far removed from the family comedies that this director was able to direct. Justin G. Dyck finds here again his faithful screenwriter Keith Cooper with whom he collaborated on several films. Anything for Jackson is also undoubtedly his best film to date, but above all it turns out to be as much a brilliant exercise in style as it is a really scary film, even if our devouring passion for cinema means that we are less and less likely to jump on our armchair and not see the various frightening effects coming.

To make a great horror film, it is not enough to reproduce an artificial script scheme based on the classics of the genre, but above all to try to bring something new and transcend the genre to show that it is still possible to really frighten viewers and play skillfully on their nerves. Anything for Jackson proves to be an unstoppable success at this level because its apparent simplicity is only illusory and the numerous jump scare are as original as they are really disturbing.

For example, we discover a bereaved satanist couple who kidnapped a young pregnant woman so that they could use an ancient grimoire to put the spirit of their deceased grandson into her child. These sorcery apprentices will invoke more than they expected and turn their welcoming home into a veritable gateway to hell. It is interesting to see that the particularly careful photography allows the viewers to see all the supernatural elements taking place in this house. Far from being a simple haunted house movie, Anything for Jackson highlights important elements of witchcraft and shows the danger of waking certain supernatural creatures without knowing how to control them whether it is a ghost worthy of Halloween or real monsters all the elements of this movie make it not only immersive but succeeds where many fail, entertaining us by frightening us.

With rather limited means compared to the horror films of the big Hollywood studios, this Canadian film shows once again that it is not the budget of a film that makes it its strength but rather the intelligence and strength of its script as well as an inspired direction and actors who are totally invested and enjoy playing. Undoubtedly one of the best horror films of this year 2020, we can only advise you to discover it during its screening at the Gérardmer Fantastic Film Festival which starts this Wednesday, January 27, 2021.

Anything for Jackson
Directed by Justin G. Dyck
Produced by Bill Marks, Christopher Giroux, Justin G. Dyck & Keith Cooper
Written by Keith Cooper
Starring Sheila McCarthy, Julian Richings, Konstantina Mantelos, Josh Cruddas, Yannick Bisson
Music by John McCarthy
Cinematography: Sasha Moric
Edited by Vincent Whiteman
Production companies : Vortex Media
Distributed by Shudder (USA)
Release date: December 3, 2020 (Italy)
Running time: 97 minutes

Viewed on December 4, 2020

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