After a Storm, a Worse One Begins

From left: Vinessa Shaw, John James Cronin,
Pat Healy, and Sierra McCormick in
"We Need to Do Something"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

The concept of having movies unfold in one location can offer many creative choices as to where such a story can take place.  The thoughts that you have as to where the narrative will take you are enticing, making you wonder whether or not you’ll get to leave that one place before the end credits commence.

One such movie has arrived from Sean King O’Grady’s psychological horror film, “We Need to Do Something.”  Although some of the story choices may be frustrating at times, the movie still offers an intense dive into a family’s uncertainty.

When a powerful storm hits a peaceful suburb, a high-school girl (Sierra McCormick), her mother (Vinessa Shaw), her father (Pat Healy), and her younger brother (John James Cronin) take shelter in a bathroom.  Once the storm ends, they find that debris is blocking the door and preventing them from leaving.  With the prospect of help decreasing as time goes on, the family will come face-to-face with their personal issues, as well as the possibility of mysterious forces at play.

The four characters are all given a chance to show how the situation is impacting them, whether it be from the scenario itself or the tension that rises between the family members.  They all work well together to establish the strain between them that’s present right at the start of the film.  As the movie goes on, we see more sinisterness and heartbreak amongst them, and the cast members do well in having you feel their tenuous relationship.  McCormick shows her character’s stress with keeping a crushing secret; Shaw displays the strength of a mother trying to keep her family together; Healy exhibits a father whose sanity is coming undone; and Cronin gives an effective portrayal as the youngest member of the family and least argumentative, an individual who tries to remain peaceful and out of the way when most of the animosity occurs among the rest of his family.

The screenplay by Max Booth III, which is based on his 2020 novella of the same name, can sometimes be vexing in terms of the story being evasive in providing any clear answers as to what might or might not be happening outside the family’s bathroom.  While I don’t mind some ambiguity in a movie, the script sometimes does a little too much in keeping information from the audience.  However, when we leave the location for an occasional flashback, we receive a couple of clues as to what might have caused the disaster.  In the middle of all of this, the narrative uses its main location to have tense dialogues between the characters.  Although the themes that arise between the characters is ground that’s been tread a few times before, the cast’s commitment to the material still makes it resonate.

Throughout the movie, King is able to keep you invested in the drama and horror that arise amongst the family.  This is a film that has to rely on its small cast and limited setting, and King gets the most out of both.

As we head into the Halloween season, watching “We Need to Do Something” is something that you should do.

Grade: B