Written by John Edward Betancourt  Raya Miles as Raya in Paul Bickel’s OUR HAPPY PLACE. (Photo Courtesy of Dances With Films.) One particular question we ask ourselves often in the modern world, is whether or not bad people… feel any sense of guilt or remorse for the horrible things they say and do. And we ask that question, simply because the world is a sour place right now, one where bad people are in positions of power and influence and day in and day out, they say awful things and they commit to awful actions and causes. The kind that marginalizes people, or discriminates and inspires violence and well… how the hell does a person that inspires that… sleep at night? Knowing full well they caused harm to another human being in the name of a political party or ideology, and part of hoping for a ‘yes’ answer… is that it might bring forth a sense of accountability. So that maybe, just maybe… they’ll stop. But they don’t. So, we believe that the answer to that question is a big fat ‘no’. But in reality, they do feel a measure of something for the actions they partake in. It might not come in the form of a sleepless night, like we’ve experienced when we commit to an act that is out of the norm for us, but it is there and often in private. As is likely the real accountability in their souls for the awful things they’ve done. But what does that look like? And quite frankly, when would that kind of tortured remorse come forth? Well, it just so happens that a horror feature that recently screened at Dances With Films, explores the answers to those questions in a stunningly uncomfortable manner in Our Happy Place. Which this film accomplishes by plunging us into a tough period of time for a woman named Raya. For her life has transformed in so many ways. For not that long ago, she and her husband Paul were living the good life and enjoying the spoils of a happy marriage, but Paul fell ill and is nothing short of an invalid and Raya is simply beside herself. For her life now consists of caring for him and hoping desperately for his return and the stress of this appears to be having a horrible negative effect upon her. For she has begun to sleepwalk and awakens in the morning often, in the middle of the woods, cold and alone. Which scares her to no end since it is unsettling behavior, and that prompts her to try and figure out the root cause, and that too causes strife. For it leads Raya down a rabbit hole that uncovers some dark secrets about her husband and her life, the kind that make it clear she’s punishing herself for letting darkness persist.  Which is a supremely creative way to get to that central theme. Simply because, the vast majority of this feature plays out like a good ol’ fashioned spiritual horror flick. Wherein it seems that something evil and sinister is stalking this couple from the darkness of the night. That in turn, leads to some solid sour vibes and some wondrous scares. Wherein the tension is as thick as can be and where one is dreading what awaits in the shadows, and that’s just fine. Since the movie pitches itself to be a horror film, and there’s nothing wrong with delivering on that promise. But truly, the horror vibe and setting are nothing more than a ruse. Because truly, this is a story about whether or not bad people feel remorse and whether or not they punish themselves the way the rest of us do for their actions.
That is explored once Raya begins to uncover the truth about her marriage and her life, and while we won’t spoil what she uncovers here, because that would ruin the ending to a carefully crafted film, what we will say… is that it does indeed properly explore how there is remorse and punishment for evil acts for people that commit to them. For bad deeds do surround this marriage, and indifference to certain actions is what Raya took part in. Which means a lot of what she experiences here is guilt based, and perhaps manifestations of a hellish punishment she believes she deserves. Which adds unique depth to this story and catharsis for the audience. For at last, we see guilt for rotten acts, we see suffering over what indifference creates, and the ending does indeed bring all of that together in a manner that truly satisfies. Which comes courtesy of a well written script and great direction from Paul Bickel, who also plays Paul in this story. And he has assembled a smart film, that is filled with lovely surprises and dark twists and turns that truly compel you to finish the journey to understand the complete story of what happened here. Plus, Raya Miles, who plays Raya, does an amazing job selling the confusion and the pain present in this story and all of these elements allow for a compelling and engaging horror story to come to life. One that truly does explore how bad deeds are punished and how bad people suffer for their actions, all while treating us to some solid scares that stay with you long after this story has come to an end. Courtesy of a quality exploration of the dark side of the human condition, and the penance for those who choose to embrace it in any capacity.
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