"The Matriarch" (2024) [Nightmares Film Festival]


by Joseph Perry

Normally here at “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict”, both Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. However, here and there they will be taking the reins in a solo outing. For this installment, it’s Joseph with a solo review of  The Matriarch by writer/director Jayden Creighton and Duckpond Productions.


Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old girl Missy (Juliette Greenfield) kills her addict mother Annette's (Kate Logan) boyfriend in self defence, and is subsequently terrorized by her own mother.


The Good
Joseph: “ . . . Subsequently terrorized by her own mother” from the above synopsis may be the movie description understatement of the year. More than simply terrorized, Missy begins hiding for and fleeing for her life from early on in Creighton’s nailbiter feature. The film wastes no time in building sympathy for Missy and showing in no uncertain terms who the villains are. Once Annette begins her deadly rampage, The Matriarch delivers almost nonstop action and suspense. The character of Missy is written well, with the girl making smart, usually simple defensive decisions that make sense for someone her age. Annette is a single-minded force bent on revenge, and woe betide anyone who tries to hamper her murderous mission. Greenfield is a revelation — she had no prior acting experience before landing the role of Missy, and she puts on a veritable acting clinic, nailing everything asked of her physically and emotionally as her character is put through the wringer. She should have a long, bright acting career in her future, and her picking up some awards for best performance during the film’s festival run would not be at all surprising. Logan is also strong as the unhinged addict mother. Creighton sustains the tension at a high level throughout. Also, I felt that the scenes involving Annette’s boyfriend threatening harm to Missy were presented well, avoiding exploitation territory.


The Bad
Joseph: The only quibble I have with The Matriarch is that there are a couple of instances of tropes quite familiar to fear-fare fans, such as what happens when two police officers come to the home after Missy places an emergency services call. 


The Verdict
Joseph: Take one vicious antagonist with psychological issues worsened by substance abuse, add one innocent, clever, and strong-willed protagonist, and you have the essentials for a suspenseful thriller. Make them a mother–daughter pair, and you have ramped up the stakes. Creighton delivers the nerve-jangling goods with The Matriarch, which I highly recommend.


The Matriarch
, from Duckpond Productions, screens as part of Nightmares Film Festival, which runs October 17–24, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit https://nightmaresfest.com/2024-attend-the-festival/.


The Matriarch
Directed By: Jayden Creighton
Written By: Jayden Creighton
Starring: Juliette Greenfield, Kate Logan
Run Time: 1h 22m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2024










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