As you’re aware, we at Horror Facts have been attending the HorrOrigins 2021 film festival and along with ‘OverKill’ which Justin most recently reviewed, we also had the opportunity to watch ‘The Rickety Man’ and this is another short that we felt was deserving of a review.
‘The Rickety Man’ follows the story of Edward, a widower who is left to care for his two children, James and Mathilda, after the death of his wife, Alice.
Edward is troubled to learn that his children have ventured into the woods beyond their estate, where Mathilda reveals she met someone known as “The Rickety Man.”
Edwards’s children soon begin to exhibit usual behaviors, with James proclaiming that he can hear his mother’s voice coming from the woods. The strangest of all affected by the woods appears to be the young Mathilda.
A “dismal mood” quickly overtakes the house causing Edward’s servants to flee, leaving him to tend to his children by himself.
As this darkness continues to loom James begins to withdraw, while Mathilda appears to slip further into madness, often appearing “feral” at times.
The film ends with Edward having to face the terrifying grasp “The Rickety Man” has over Mathilda.
Can he save his daughter from “The Rickety Man”? Or is there anything even left of her to save?
‘The Rickety Man’ feels like something that belongs in ‘The Conjuring’ universe.
The film itself is subtle and relies on its ability to elicit an unsettling sensation out of its viewer, rather than relying on a CGI antagonist.
We do get one unclear look at “The Rickety Man” in the film, but that’s all we need. The uncertainty of what this entity is helps to carry the theme of the movie, for it’s not the beast that we need to fear, but rather its impact on those who come in contact with it.
A creepy look from a child, flickering lights and an unknown sound coming from somewhere in the home are far more effective any day of the week than plastering the screen with a monster.
With a runtime of just under fifteen minutes, ‘The Rickety Man’ definitely deserves a watch. Just like with ‘OverKill’ this is another short that we at Horror Facts would like to see be made into a full-length feature film.
Somebody gets James Wan on the phone and tell him he needs to see this short.
‘The Rickety Man’ is directed by Cameron Gallagher, written by Jeremiah Lewis and stars Russell Shealy as Edward, Ava Torres as Mathilda, Wyatt Cary as James, Kurtis Martin as The Butler and Allison GiamBruno as Alice.
The film has already been nominated for an award for best young actress at the Horrorhaus Film Festival early this year.
Check out HorrOrigins website.
