"The Block Island Sound" [2024]

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 science fiction/horror thriller The Block Island Sound by Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus.

Synopsis

Something lurks off the coast of Block Island, silently influencing the behavior of fisherman, Tom Lynch. After suffering a series of violent outbursts, he unknowingly puts his family in grave danger.

The Good

Cowriters/codirectors Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus deliver a winning science fiction/horror hybrid with The Block Island Sound, a film that builds a baffling, often chilling mystery as it simultaneously unravels realistic family drama. Eerie goings-on are afoot on and around Block Island, beginning with fish turning up dead on the beach by the thousands, and fisherman Tom Lynch (Neville Archambault of 13 Cameras) waking up alone on his boat and then displaying behavior that leads his live-in son Harry (Chris Sheffield) to suspect his father may be developing aging issues that include blackouts and sleepwalking.

Tom’s marine biologist daughter Audry (Michaela McManus of The Village) comes to the family’s island home with her young daughter and her coworker to investigate the fish and other issues. After Tom disappears during a boat outing, Audry accepts that he is dead while hard-headed Harry refuses to believe it, and then begins to display similar behavior to Tom’s, along with drinking heavily and giving in to his violent tendencies. He also begins having visions of his father that are downright unnerving in their presentation.

The Block Island Sound boasts solid acting, with McManus delivering a standout performance as a woman who is tasked with solving an ecological puzzle, taking care of her daughter, mourning the likely passing of her father, and not the least of these, dealing with her long-time screw-up brother, who has been all but written off by their sister Jen (Heidi Niedermeyer). Sheffield plays the adult son on edge well, and Archambault is memorable from his opening scene through his delivery later on in a hair-raising scene. Nice supporting turns include Jim Cummings as Dale, Harry’s conspiracy-theory–spouting drinking buddy, and Jeremy Holm (The Ranger) as a reclusive and possibly unstable man who Audry reluctantly visits in her search for clues as to what might be affecting Harry.

The McManus Brothers pace the proceedings well. The sense of dread that permeates The Block Island Sound is thanks in large part to the nerve-jangling sound design from Andrey Radovski and Shawn Duffy. From guttural utterances to loud noises that sound like they echo across the sea but may only be in characters’ heads, the aural work is superb.

The Bad

The Block Island Sound may not offer the most original family drama, but that aspect is delivered in a compelling manner by a game cast. Opinions may differ about the film’s big reveal, but I quite enjoyed it, and was taken by the follow-up after that, too.

The Verdict

The Block Island Sound is heavy on eldritch atmosphere and unsettling puzzle pieces, and should please viewers looking for more than jump scares and gore.

The Block Island Sound