Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Anything for Jackson’. For the most part, stories that revolve around the power of grief as a result of loss, follow a pretty standard formula. One where we meet an everyday person at their absolute lowest after someone that means the world to them has passed away. And over the course of the story, we watch them figure out how to escape the clutches of depression and sorrow by way of a supremely personal journey or one that involves a touch of support and that formula exists for one reason and one reason alone, because it is a crowd pleaser through and through. Because there really is something quite powerful and inspiring about watching a broken person put the pieces back together again after their world has come crashing down around them. But while that does indeed leave the viewer or the reader floating atop cloud nine when they’ve come to the conclusion of a story in that vein, let’s be honest… that’s simply not an accurate representation of how the road back from trauma and loss and grief actually goes for some people. Because in some cases, the grief and the pain of losing someone that means the world to us, takes over completely. Which means that sadly, some people that lose themselves to those negative emotions are never the same person again, a harsh reality that few of us want to face because we firmly believe that people can overcome anything, when in fact… some cannot. But while the vast majority of movies and books out there tend to avoid this darker side to trauma and loss, there are some stories out there that confront this topic head on, such as the Shudder original, Anything for Jackson. Now in this particular film we are introduced to a loving couple named Henry and Audrey Walsh and well, they’re at a crossroads in life. Because they have sadly suffered through some terrible losses in their family as of late. For their grandson, Jackson, died in a horrible accident and well… they’re desperate to find some kind of closure and peace in regard to their pain, and they believe they may have found a wild way to make that happen. For Audrey and Henry are also Satanists and they believe that a spell present within the anthesis of the Bible will allow for them resurrect their darling Jackson, provided they get their hands on one key element: a pregnant woman. For her unborn child can become the vessel for their beloved grandson and that motivates the couple to put a wild plan into motion. One that involves kidnapping a pregnant woman and conducting spells that quite frankly, they don’t fully understand, and it is that lack of knowledge… that is going to change their lives in a negative manner. For they are about to unleash powerful forces, that will stop at nothing to reclaim the wonder of life. So, as you can see from that plot summary, this is a surprisingly complex horror film. One that really does present us with the worst-case scenario in regard to trauma and loss. Because despite the loving nature that this couple exhibits, they are in fact… badly broken people through and through. The kind that cannot live with what happened in the slightest and that motivates them to make horrible decisions and endanger their lives in the process. And while their actions here are obviously exaggerated and extreme, a fascinating message is present within the framework of their wild quest to bring Jackson back. In that, whether we like it or not, when we lose a loved one, they are gone forever, and we have to find a way to accept that and make peace with it. Otherwise, we will indeed succumb to the darkness within and forget to honor those we’ve loved and lost by living a fruitful and joyous life. But while it is fascinating to explore this particularly bleak aspect of the grieving process, make no mistake about it, this is a horror film through and through. One that wastes zero time in terrifying the audience by putting the evil that Audrey and Henry have unleashed upon the world on full display and that allows for some horrifying visuals to take place. The kind that genuinely feel otherworldly and demonic for certain and that absolutely allows for the viewer to squirm in their seat as they watch these unsettling visuals unfold. And as an added bonus, some of the gorier and more shocking moments in this motion picture, straight up come out of left field. Leaving you in utter surprise when they happen and that too adds to the uncomfortable experience of watching this movie, since you never quite know what is coming and really, in the end, all of these elements make this a brilliant horror film when all is said and done. For it really does have something important to say about the human condition and really, what makes that part of the movie so powerful… is that its commentary upon grief is so supremely intimate and haunting. Which quite frankly, is something that you don’t see in horror films all that often, since they normally offer up commentary upon grander concepts about who we are as a people. Plus, this is a movie that is also anchored by some wonderful performances since Sheila McCarthy and Julian Richings are electric as Audrey and Henry, respectively, and they bring an honesty to their roles that is downright refreshing. If anything, this is one of those rare movies that you need to make an effort to see as soon as possible, simply because it really is a unique and powerful horror story. One that takes terror to a whole new level by plunging us into a world where our worst fears are put on full display. ‘Anything for Jackson’ is streaming now, exclusively on Shudder.
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