Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, this is horror. It's not trying to be wholesome or enriching or safe—it's trying to scare the crap out of you using a creepy shadow monster that only appears in darkness. And by most accounts, it succeeds at that specific goal.

The premise is genuinely creative: a supernatural entity attached to a mother's mental illness that can only exist in the dark. The film plays with light switches, flashlights, and shadows in visually interesting ways. At 81 minutes, it's mercifully short—no bloat, just scares.

But here's the thing: this is ONLY for people who actively enjoy horror. If you're looking for family movie night options, keep scrolling. If your teen gets nightmares easily, hard pass. If mental illness hits close to home, the horror-metaphor treatment might feel exploitative rather than insightful.

For horror fans 14+? It's a competent, efficiently scary movie. For literally everyone else? There are about ten thousand better ways to spend 81 minutes. The WISE score reflects that this is quality genre filmmaking with zero applicability to intentional family media consumption.

Age Fit

This is for horror-loving teens 14+ and adults who enjoy a good scare. It's PG-13-level horror (likely), meaning no extreme gore but plenty of jump scares and frightening imagery. Absolutely not for kids, tweens, or anyone who doesn't actively want to be scared.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

20

Horror film built around jump scares, supernatural terror, and family trauma involving mental illness. Features a malevolent spirit that attacks in darkness, creating sustained atmosphere of dread. Not emotionally healthy viewing—designed specifically to frighten and unsettle. Models fear responses rather than cooperation or kindness.

Imaginative

55

Decent horror concept: a spirit that only exists in darkness is visually creative and plays with light/shadow in interesting ways. The premise of childhood fears manifesting through maternal mental illness has psychological depth. However, it's a fairly standard supernatural horror execution without groundbreaking originality—expanded from a 3-minute short film with limited world-building beyond its core gimmick.

Safe

15

This is a PG-13 horror film with jump scares, violence, disturbing imagery of a supernatural entity, themes of mental illness and maternal abandonment, character deaths, and sustained terror throughout its 81-minute runtime. Contains exactly the kind of content (surprise violence, scary imagery, psychological distress) that would be inappropriate for young viewers. The entire point is to be unsafe—to create fear and discomfort.

Enriching

35

Touches on serious themes like mental illness, family trauma, and childhood fears, which could spark meaningful discussion for older teens. The metaphor of darkness/light and inherited trauma has some depth. However, it's primarily designed as a thrill ride rather than deep exploration—entertainment value is in scares, not insights. At 81 minutes, it's efficiently paced but doesn't leave much room for character development or meaningful takeaways beyond 'turn on the lights.'

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Solid horror execution for genre fans—the light/darkness mechanic creates genuine tension and visual creativity
Short runtime (81 min) means it doesn't overstay its welcome; gets in, scares you, gets out
Explores family trauma and mental illness through a horror lens, which could resonate with older teens who appreciate metaphorical storytelling
Decent TMDB rating (6.4/10) suggests it delivers on its horror promises without being torture-porn or gratuitously violent

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What to Watch For

This is straight horror—jump scares, a creepy supernatural entity, violence, and people dying. Not remotely appropriate for kids under 13, and even then only for teens who actively enjoy being scared
Mental illness is portrayed through a horror filter (mother with condition linked to supernatural entity), which could be disturbing or stigmatizing depending on your family's experience
The entire film is designed to create fear and anxiety—if your teen struggles with anxiety, nightmares, or fear of the dark, this will make it worse
Very limited rewatch value unless you're a horror completist

Conversation Starters

"That was terrifying—what did you think about how they used light and darkness? Did it make you think differently about being afraid of the dark?"
"The movie uses a monster to represent the mom's mental illness. What do you think about that choice? Does it work as a metaphor or does it feel unfair to people with mental health challenges?"
"Rebecca had to deal with a lot—taking care of her brother, facing her childhood trauma. Have you ever felt responsible for something that wasn't really your job to handle?"
"Okay real talk: are you going to be able to sleep tonight or should we leave ALL the lights on?"

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