Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Offseason’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Jocelin Donahue as Marie Aldrich in the horror film, OFFSEASON, a Shudder release. Photo courtesy of Shudder.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Offseason’.
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Something we don’t talk about all that often… is what the aftermath of losing a loved one looks like. Because there is more than just grief and an ache to deal with. There’s handling the estate of the person that is now gone and making arrangements to have their body prepared for burial or cremation. Plus, there’s debts to settle and the whole matter of removing them from the land of living records and that is absolutely a ton to deal with and can be utterly exhausting and stressful. But what’s amazing is that even when all of that is accomplished, there is still a great deal for us to handle regarding our loved one. 
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Because the passing of a loved one, is also a great time of discovery. For we are digging through their life as we clean out their home and close the books on the memories they made and in doing so… we come to learn a great deal about them. Often times, what we uncover is good in nature, since a random photograph or letter or some kind of personal trinket will bring about an incredible story of the person we lost. Giving us insight into what made them so great, while adding to their legacy at the same time. However, there is a flip-side to this process of discovery. In that, sometimes what we uncover is unsettling for certain and it changes our view of this person altogether. Not to mention what we sometimes uncover is life changing, since their end brings forth a new chapter for an old sin, putting us at quite the crossroads… since it is now our problem to deal with.

If anything, this darker side of discovery is paramount to our discussion today, simply because it, and how best to deal with it, serve as the focus of the brand-new Shudder feature, Offseason. Which is a story that introduces us to a woman named Marie Aldrich, and when we catch up with her, here, she’s dealing with quite the conundrum. For her recently departed mother’s tombstone has been vandalized, and it is up to Marie to return to her mother’s home town, the isolated tourist community of Lone Palm Beach, and decide what comes next for her mother’s grave. But this voyage to her mother’s place of birth with an old friend, proves to be quite troublesome. Since this community harbors quite the secret, one that mother never told her daughter about, and now Marie is going to pay the price for her mother’s secrecy. Unless of course… she is able to escape this hellscape. 

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Which is a plot that delivers as promised and truly explores the sins of the parent and the horrors that come with discovering secrets we never knew about our loved ones. Since Marie is mortified to discover that her mother escaped a cultist community of sorts, one tethered to a horrible monster that feeds off of the energy of human life and she is a tad bit upset… that mom never told her about such matters, and that the evil would come for her if her mother were to pass. But what matters more about this fascinating storyline, is its messaging revolving around how we should handle such surprises. Because Marie’s actions and her final choice about this community, speak volumes to the reality that we cannot let what we discover... control us or guide us into the future. For these were the mistakes and transgressions of another person and come from another life, and only have bearing and gravity when we choose to give them power, and that is a powerful message to inject into this story for certain.
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But while it is indeed wonderful to find brilliance and musings regarding how best to handle this unpleasant surprise, make no mistake about it… this is a horror film through and through. One that happens to toss in some lovely homages to John Carpenter and George Romero courtesy of the eerie fog that often surrounds this tourist getaway a la The Fog and by way of the city itself. Since Lone Palm Beach bears a creepy resemblance to the Fort Myers, Florida that appeared in Day of the Dead. Complete with a battered landscape and in a way… zombies. Since those that serve the monster here sometimes look as though they’re back from the grave and speaking of the monster, his entrance is quite stunning and horrifying to say the least and the moments ahead of his arrival… are equally as chilling. Courtesy of the film’s claustrophobic feel and disturbing visuals. 

In the end, this is simply, a delightful horror film through and through… because it offers so much to its audience. For it is intelligent and moving, and fast paced and downright terrifying and you really cannot ask for much more from a horror film than that. Not to mention, it is filled to the brim with quality and impactful performances, with Jocelin Donahue stealing the show as Marie, since her performance here is organic and natural and her response to the discoveries, she makes is utterly believable. Plus, there’s also a grand mythos introduced by writer/director Mickey Keating here. One that captivates and draws you in and demands repeat viewings of this tale, and thanks to the fact that it is streaming on Shudder… one can accomplish just that and partake often of a powerful tale about the dawning horror that comes about, when we discover what skeletons are in the closets of the dearly departed.

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