Love, madness and a mystery consume a newlywed couple who’ve
embarked on their honeymoon at a lakeside cabin in the woods. What begins as a
picturesque excursion for Bea (Rose Leslie) and Paul (Harry Treadaway) soon
descends into a nightmare when the new bride disappears in the middle of the
night. After a tense search, she is discovered in the woods by her groom; nude,
bruised and incoherent. He is immediately alarmed and when he questions her
over what has happened she rebuffs his curiosity, initially blaming it on an
episode of sleepwalking. It’s an explanation that seems adequate until her
behavior becomes increasingly erratic and despondent. Her physical condition
rapidly deteriorates and the question of what ails her, casts a dark specter
over their celebratory trip and the future of their marriage.
Bea and Paul have an idyllic relationship: playful, caring and
lighthearted. First-time director Leigh Janiak spends most of the film’s
opening getting viewers to invest in their relationship and it’s time well
spent. While, so many horror films get lost in the bloodletting and slasher
intrigue, they often skip over this key ingredient. Forgetting to flesh out the
characters at the center of the action and losing the humanity in its story as
a result. “Honeymoon” admirably delves into these two likable beings, making it
easy to root for them amidst their ensuing downward spiral.
Early on, anvils drop as to what’s happened and in some
regards, they are almost too heavy handed. When it gets into its second half “Honeymoon”
starts to hit the wall, with very little in the way of plot progress and a
spatter of repetitive dialogue that is grating in its echoing ambivalence. It
is in this realm that it relies heavily on genre clichés, as characters
hemorrhage IQ points as readily as they do blood. The fairly intelligent people
from the beginning steadily devolve into utter dullards. Bea’s denials grow
increasingly exasperating and though Paul expresses his irritation, he fails to
do anything proactive about it. As ridiculous decisions abound, the plot runs
around in circles, as pointless bouts of arguing lead to no resolutions. Any
rational person would behave much differently than what’s portrayed and
chalking it up to fear doesn’t hold water.
As the film spins its wheels in the second half, it feels as
if it’s just running down the clock as opposed to working towards a revelatory
experience. When the culprit behind Bea’s condition is finally revealed, it is rather
obvious and disappointingly generic. "Honeymoon" makes up for this with its atmospherically laden
approach, which gives it an air of originality and unmistakable
mystique. The underpinnings of horror clichés are dressed up enough to divert
attention from the movie’s more formulaic aspects. There seems to be an attempt
made by the film to serve as an allegory of sorts, though it’s unclear what it’s
hoping to signify.
Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway both give admirable
performances that ground the movie in a believability that is vital, especially
when the hysterics of the final chapter take hold. To its credit the film exits
with a sense of closure, sidestepping the vagueness that has dominated similar
indie features. The particular emotion felt by this viewer in its wake proved
to be a testament to the affability of its characters and the turns of its leads, as it's a rarely produced sensation
from the genre. As a thriller it is compelling, as a love story its romantic
and as a horror flick it leaves the audience with some things that are hard to
shake despite desiring to. Rating: 6.5/10