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I have seen the found footage horror movie of my dreams, and it is WHAT HAPPENED TO DOROTHY BELL? This compelling thriller follows Ozzie Gray who uncovers a disturbing revelation from her early childhood involving her late grandmother, Dorothy Bell, and sets out to solve the mystery of what happened. Unfortunately for Ozzie, she mistakenly awakens an ancient evil during her investigations.
First off – Asya Meadows is SO FUCKING GOOD in this! From the first moment she appears on screen as Ozzie, you get taken in by her, and you’ll be entranced all the way through the film’s final moments. Second, I absolutely LOVED that the found footage is put together with a mix of mediums: home video camcorder tapes, self-taped video diaries, zoom meets, and security camera captures. It’s hard for me to find a found footage movie that doesn’t give me the queasy, and this mix of styles solved that. Plus, it was just super cool.
The supporting cast is also great, particularly Arlene Arnone Bibbs as Dorothy Bell! She was fantastic. I loved seeing Nightmare icon Lisa Wilcox in a fun role, and of course, Michael Hargrove is always excellent.
Director Danny Villanueva Jr. shows his love for the genre in every frame, and masterfully keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. In addition to me really digging the lore built into the story, I’m a big fan of the way Villaneuva showed – and also didn’t show – the gore.
WHAT HAPPENED TO DOROTHY BELL? weaves childhood trauma, self-discovery, mental illness, and misguided protections into its roots in clever and bone-chilling ways that punch you in the gut and leave a lasting impression. This one is making my best-of 2024 list, for sure!
Currently playing at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX.
I Love Splatter! 