A boy named Eli with a rare autoimmune disorder is confined to a special experimental clinic for his treatment. He soon begins experiencing supernatural forces, turning the supposedly safe facility...
A film that’ll leave audiences scratching their heads, but it tinges of incomprehensible ambition will send you into a nosedive of excitement, “Eli”, directed by Ciarán Foy, is an interesting, yet, average horror journey to take, but your mileage may vary depending on how you take what’s being served to you.
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The film follows a young boy who’s suffering from a rare disease that causes him to have severe allergic reactions to the outdoors. His parents take him to a secluded facility for treatment in hopes of finally getting him healthy. However, the boy starts to experience various supernatural phenomena throughout the facility that causes him to question his treatments and the facility itself.
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At first glance, the film appears like every supernatural haunted house film that’s existed. What rises the basic tropes above boring waters, though, is the creepy atmosphere of its location and briefly compelling mystery of the facility, as the viewer knows there’s something off but never exactly sure what is. The film does an serviceable job at building it’s tension and setting up its ghostly scares, even though they are you’re usually jump scares that are painfully obvious. What makes the horror effective is the downright chilling setting and fantastic cinematography that transports you right into this uncomfortable small space. Steering away from spoilers, once things escalate, barreling through the usual paranormal and hospital elements, the final act completely shakes the narrative up in a bold way that you can’t see coming. While the film might have relied heavily on that one particular twist, its execution was handled strongly and is one of the most memorable elements from this rather decent film.
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To the cast’s credit, they handle the material given to them well, with kid actor Charlie Shotwell shouldering the central role with ease, jolting in pain and terror one moment, then finding his footing once the final act approaches. Although, Shotwell’s shrieks of terror are extremely annoying due to how often he does it! Sadie Sink, while having only a minor role, has a smirking charisma to her that makes her an instantly fascinating figure and the best guide to hold our main protagonist’s hand through this twisted journey.
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“Eli” relies so heavily on a twist that it’s occasionally effective filmmaking and solid performances collapses under its weight. It’s always refreshing to see filmmakers take a punt on surprising the audience, but in the case of “Eli”, it’s final act will possibly be the only memorable thing out of this rather average haunted house premise.
