There are a lot of elements that elevate horror, one being the use of a limited set. A common tool for creating tension and claustrophobia, the concept never seems to grow old as it challenges filmmakers and actors to think and act differently. The latest to embrace this form is director Sean King O’Grady’s We Need to Do Something.
It’s All About the Tension
From the moment We Need to Do Something opens, there is a sense of forbidding doom. As the camera pans over a town, sirens blare, warning the inhabitants while slowly merging with the film’s ominously evolving score. There is an immediate chill felt with the color of the town leeched of its vibrancy, even the trees’ autumn colors lacking the radiant decadence of fall.
While the opening shots are expansive, audiences are quickly brought into the confines of a master bathroom, a family of four swiftly making their way inside, the mother Diane (Vinessa Shaw) preparing for a prolonged time inside. As the door locks and their cell phones continue to buzz, this leisurely bathroom quickly transforms into a shelter.
What We Need to Do Something does immediately well is establish the tension that will course through the film. While there is anxiety caused by the impending storm, there is clearly a strain on the relationships within the family. The father seems on edge from the first moment we see him, the daughter matching his agitation. There is a quiet accusatory tone that further fosters this tension, each individual struggling to encompass their own individuality while struggling against those around them. As it sets the bar early, this tension is captivating, holding our attention and welcoming our curiosity.
As the storm swells around them, there is a crescendo of natural tension, thunder and lightning, the phone continually abuzz with warnings and a fear of the possibility of gunshots just barely lost to the sound of the wind. As the storm starts to wane, the film slowly begins to embrace the tension that still is enclosed within the solid stone of the bathroom. And while there is a moment of relief, a new storm begins to brew within them as they discover a tree has fallen on their home, practically sealing them inside.
Craftsmanship
We Need to Do Something is first and foremost a cringe-worthy film, constantly pushing not only the element of gore but challenging audiences to keep watching. It is not afraid to push the elements, compounding each aspect with a lack of knowledge, small bread crumbs given in time. But as much as you want to look away, you will find that you can not. You are not only hypnotized by the interactions between the family and their crumbling levels of sanity with each passing day but also in finding out why help is not coming.
The film’s tension is bolstered by the strong performances of its cast, as well as the almost surrealist visuals it embraces. Sierra McCormick stands out in the film, her character the most layered and nuanced. Melissa is in a constant struggle to maintain her footing and poise, and McCormick slowly breaks her down, exposing a deeper vulnerability and guilt with each passing day within the limited set. She understands the task assigned and embraces it completely.
Pat Healy and Vinessa Shaw (Hocus Pocus) contrast each other well, Robert battling his growing rage and desperation and Diane completely and calmly fixated on her maternal role. While he is the despair, she is the hope. Shaw and Healy play off one another well, using space between them within their limited resources to build the feeling of claustrophobia. As their tension escalates, so do their performances.
Abuse and Trauma
We Need to Do Something is a solid horror story with real-life horrors intertwined in its tale. Within the limited space of the bathroom, the examination of the family goes beyond their interactions here, but in its entirety. Too often, the film feels like an examination of a family under the power of an abusive patriarch, one whose control and abuse take many forms.
But the film goes deeper than just looking at the abuse within family relationships, but in the aftermath of release – the trauma that stays with the victim. What happens when you are finally free from the repressive relationship that has dictated your life? Is the world outside any better?
It is a powerful representation too not only of the victim but what influences the abuser and gives them their power. The film never explicitly states the abuse or the disease, but it is there behind the words spoken between the family, as well as in the actions they resort to over the passing days.
Conclusion: We Need to Do Something
We Need to Do Something is a cringe-worthy experience providing audiences a graphic examination of abuse coupled with the intricate craftsmanship of horror. You might feel as though this is something you might not like, but you will find it difficult to look away and leave behind. And while the film cleverly works its way to the final moments, it is the film’s conclusion that will leave the most debate.
Have you seen We Need to Do Something? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
We Need to Do Something will be opening in theaters, digital, and VOD on September 3, 2021!
Watch We Need to Do Something
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