The Reckoning

An American man’s will stipulates his ashes be spread at a French chateau he visited years previous. Caught off guard, his disabled widow and two sons are forced overseas to fulfill the strange request. Haunted by his dead father once there, the eldest son unearths a dark family secret that leads to a horrifying outcome.

Screened at Black Sunday Film Festival. Inspired by Guy de Maupassant’s 1888 novel “Pierre et Jean”, The Reckoning is a modern drama with a psychological and haunting edge. Brian and Nick are estranged brothers who unexpectedly lose their father. The will stipulates they must travel to a chateau in France to scatter his ashes and we learn that on this request, one son will receive a large inheritance. This leads to the family’s already tense relationship to fracture further, with suspicion and distrust building. Add into the mix haunting images of their late father and a newly unearthed dark family secret and you have The Reckoning. Shot in just 18 days with a crew of the same number, this independent feature is a wonderfully directed piece of haunting cinema. It plays well on the unspoken tension often found between relatives, which are particularly frayed when placed under unexpected pressure. Set on the grounds of the breathtaking Chateau Outrelaise, the filmmakers do well to capture a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere amidst the sprawling estate grounds. The cinematography is astounding, balancing that fine line between capturing the picturesque surroundings and educing fear from its audience. You’d be mistaken coming into The Reckoning expecting another ghost story in a grand manor. Instead, this delivers a film that’s equal parts family drama and mystery with two gory woodlands scenes that lurk in the back of your memory after the final credits roll. The performances of both Michael Weaver as Brian and Quincy Dunn-Baker as Nick are incredibly strong, each with a believability that takes you into the story immediately. Kristen Griffith delivers a standout performance as Laura, the mother of Brian and Nick. She has a challenging role as a dementia sufferer and effortlessly portrays this with heartbreaking ease yet manages to deliver humour and sharp wit which provide unexpected moments of levity. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and the depth of its narrative. Fans of well-developed characters, films that take time to invest in the story and unexpected, yet purposeful twists will highly enjoy The Reckoning.