This is just a goddamn mess. The Turning is a new adaptation of Henry James’ 1898 novel The Turn of the Screw, which was already adapted as the 1961 film The Innocents. The Innocents is often cited as one of the best haunted house movies ever made, alongside films like The Haunting and The Changeling (it also has an insane prequel called The Nightcomers starring Marlon Brando; I’m pretty sure I’m on an FBI watchlist just for watching that movie). The Turning will not be remembered with such reverence. In addition to simply not being scary, this movie is borderline incoherent.
I would like to speak with someone that has seen The Turning, but hasn’t seen The Innocents or read the book because I’m curious if they know what the fucking plot is supposed to be. I know what’s supposed to be going on because I’ve seen The Innocents, but I don’t know if I would have followed this if I hadn’t seen the earlier version. Basically, Mackenzie Davis (last seen in Terminator: Dark Fate) plays a live-in nanny that goes to live with a couple of rich brats in a mansion. Spooky shenanigans start happening and she starts seeing ghosts, as tends to happen in mansions out in the country. The kids start acting weird and, um, that’s about it. The motives and history of the ghosts is never explained, nor is their relationship to the children. It would be like remaking A Nightmare on Elm Street (again) without mentioning Freddy’s backstory or his motivation. It’s a stunning omission and you rarely see a remake that just disregards major plot points without even pretending to give a shit if it makes sense.
The ending of this movie is basically a middle finger to anyone stupid enough to sit through it. The ending of The Innocents is vague, sure. I don’t think you can be a film academic without writing a paper on if the house in The Innocents is actually haunted or if the movie is just about repressed sexuality. But this version removes any such subtext. This movie just ends. I don’t mean it ends abruptly; I mean it just ends. To use an outdated expression, its like the last reel of film is missing. As the credits rolled, the audience members (myself included) started looking at each other in total confusion as we silently asked each other “is that really it?” Some of us stayed a few minutes into the credits, but nothing else happened and then we walked out together feeling dirty and ashamed. The end of this movie resolves nothing and then concludes with a scene that I can’t even place into context (is it a dream? is it taking place in the future? what the fuck does it have to do with anything?). I would not be surprised to find out that an hour was cut out of this movie and then fuck off if you think I’m watching the extended cut.
Aside from just being an incomplete, disjointed mess, The Turning isn’t the least bit scary. The Innocents is dripping with atmosphere and a general feeling of unease. This is nothing but cheap jump scares and fake-out dream sequences. In fact, this movie may now hold the record for longest fake-out dream sequence, because its not so much one sequence but almost the entire third act of the movie. The bodycount would be zero if it wasn’t for one old lady falling down the stairs. This is honestly the one kind of horror movie (haunted house) where I don’t mind a lack of gore, but you damn well better be creepy. I have Scooby Doo Meets the Boo Brothers on tv as I’m typing this and that is a creepier haunted house movie than The Turning.
It’s also worth mentioning that Finn Wolfhard is terribly miscast here. I’m not sure exactly how old he is, but he is the wrong age for this. He is too old to be a creepy kid, as the character is supposed to be, and he is too young to be physically threatening. He’s just a whiny, pissant teenager. That isn’t scary, it’s just annoying. I mean, he’s like 90 pounds soaking wet, you just have to wring his fucking neck.
If you have any interest in this, just stay home and watch The Innocents. It’s the same story except it actually has a story, if that makes any sense. It’s a classy, well-made, old school haunted house movie. Then checkout the prequel, The Nightcomers, if you’re into underage, incestuous bondage. Seriously, that movie is fucking uncomfortable.
Image By: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turning_(2020_film)#/media/File:The_Turning_poster_2020.jpg
