DON'T KNOCK TWICE review

Kudos to director Caradog James for getting to Don't Knock Twice's gimmick early and rarely bothering with it again. While most supernatural horror films have, in recent years, become a game of figuring out what kind of silly plot device will generate the most buzz (Lights Out, Silent House, Hush), Don't Knock Twice features a refreshingly simple element that, despite being a pervasive part of the film, doesn't wear out its welcome. Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler's script (also the duo behind 2015's Howl) imitates the urban legends of Candyman and Bloody Mary, but it's more a story about childhood trauma and mother-daughter relationships kept inside a paranormal shell.

The film stars Katee Sackhoff as Jess, a sculptor who was once addicted to drugs and gave her daughter Chloe (Lucy Boynton) up for adoption; nine years later, she's clean again and ready to bring Chloe back into her life. But Chloe's not the forgiving type and she's hesitant to accept any help from Jess - that is until she accidentally summons an evil demon after knocking twice on a deserted house where a witch used to live.

Sackhoff and Boynton are more interesting than the ghosts themselves, though, and James does a fairly good job of piecing together a story about a mother and daughter bonding over a traumatic incident. Don't Knock Twice allows their relationship room to grow, at first starting on rocky territory and then slowly forcing Jess and Chloe together. While there's really no question about the realness of the hauntings, the film does at least put some doubt in the viewer's head about Jess' intentions.

The lead-up is good enough to warrant praise, and while most viewers won't find anything extraordinarily memorable about Don't Knock Twice, it's a good attempt at supernatural horror. While James takes very little risks throughout, the film has solid atmosphere aided by a cool soundtrack and some great performances from Sackhoff and Boynton. This isn't going to redefine the subgenre, but it's hard to knock this hearty attempt.

You can find the full review at The Moon is a Dead World.