The Last WIll and Testament of Rosalind Leigh

The feature film debut of Rue Morgue Magazine's head honcho Rodrigo Gudino, this movie delivers a successful, well controlled story that is part haunted house and part religious thriller, not to mention a creepy family drama.

Aaron Poole stars as Leon, an antiques collector who returns home after his estranged mother's death and discovers that the house has been turned into a sort of shrine dedicated to a mysterious religious cult who appears to have a fascination with angles and statues of religious figures, particularly the Virgin Mary. As if walking into a room chock full of lifeless eyes staring you down isn't uncomfortable enough, Leon soon begins to suspect that his mother's spirit is lingering and that it wants something of him though what it wants remains a mystery.

It's an interesting story that has overtones of religious thrillers but where in others fail by infusing ridiculous CG creatures and jump scares, Gudino chooses to keep this small and intimate. He puts great faith on Poole and the house, itself a staggeringly oppressive character, with great results. As The Last Will progresses, the house feels like it's closing in on Leon, bearing down on him and eventually, the oppressive surroundings have him seeing and hearing things that may or may not be there.

The house is spectacular, crowded with artefacts each of which is creepier than the last. The overcrowding is claustrophobic which works wonders to immediately set mood but it helps that Gudino knows exactly how to manoeuvre the camera to achieve the greatest amount of unease, moving in and out of the small spaces, down hallways and through rooms with purpose. It's a great way to build tension and even when nothing is jumping up or creeping into the frame, there's a sense of intensity that permeates through the movie.

The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh is a great watch, a haunted house thriller that succeeds in its scares and will stay with you long after the final credits roll. It doesn't hurt that the final voiceover will leave you itching to see the movie again.

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The Last WIll and Testament of Rosalind Leigh

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