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The Cellar
By Stefan Pape,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Mysterious Irish horror is unsettling but few visual scares.
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The Cellar
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What's the Story?
THE CELLAR tells the story of the Woods family, who set up a new home in a vast, old building. When mother Keira (Elisha Cuthbert) heads out to work, her eldest daughter Ellie (Abby Fitz) heads down to the cellar, but she doesn't return. Keira and her husband, Brian (Eoin Macken), strive to find Ellie. But when Keira begins researching the house, it seems they could be coming up against a formidable, supernatural foe.
Is It Any Good?
This psychological horror has a fascinating premise, which simply isn't executed well enough. There's a moment in the early moments of the film, when Ellie heads down into The Cellar. She's on the phone to her mother and she's counting the steps as she goes down. There are ten steps, but she continues counting way beyond that. This image sends a chill down the spine, and in that moment makes you sit up and pay close attention. Yet that proves to be the film's most, in fact, only notable sequence, and from thereon just loses its way and fails to compel or involve the viewer in a way it promised.
Cuthbert impresses in the leading role of Keira, showing perseverance in her quest to find out what's happened to her daughter. In fact, the former 24 star is the one takeaway from this project, proving she's more than capable of leading a film and has a great understanding of the horror genre. As it leads toward a hugely unsatisfying final act, The Cellar is a movie that could've been great, but sadly, is anything but.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk whether The Cellar was scary. Did you find it scary? Why, or why not? How did it compare to other horror movies that rely on visual scares? What's the appeal of scary movies?
What were the main differences between how Keira and Brian dealt with the disappearance of their daughter? Would you describe Keira as a strong female lead character? How might Brian be said to play into an outdated stereotype of fathers?
Cyberbullying and social media are themes in the movie. Have you had an experience of bullying online? What did you do? What should you do if you encounter cyberbullying?
The family at the center of the story move to a new home. Have you ever moved home? How did you find that experience?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 15, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: June 21, 2022
- Cast: Elisha Cuthbert , Eoin Macken , Abby Fitz
- Director: Brendan Muldowney
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Shudder
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 94 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 19, 2023
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