We Need to Do Something

Sheltering in their bathroom preparing for a storm to hit tensions are running high with Melissa (Sierra McCormick) not getting replies to her texts, her father Robert (Pat Healy) in state of patriarchal overbear and mother Diane (Vinessa Shaw) and younger son Bobby (John James Cronin) trying to keep theirs’s and the other spirits up.

The lights fail and the force of the storm fells a tree that blocks the door. Attempting to see what is going on outside Dad takes and loses Melissa’s mobile further stoking up the tension in the room.

The power returns and the imperative to try and get out. Only with Robert losing his grip on reality – he is drinking mouthwash - it becomes a dangerous task. He’s convinced Bobby can fit through the small gap between the door and the frame and tries to force him with agonising results.

Adding to the fear is the appearance of a something at the door: a dog with a demonic voice (Ozzy Osbourne) that attacks Melissa. The dog, voices and screams outside plus a snake in the bathroom lead them to consider that the storm may not have been natural.

This is a very tightly controlled filmed with some good shock and gore sequences supporting the overall narrative. There are some excellent performances – Healy foments genuine terror as a man tightly sprung at the best of times now facing total mental collapse. The fear in the family as they witness his collapse along with their gradual dishevelling appearance and desperation forcing them to do really very unpleasant things to survive.

Despite the obvious this doesn’t have any great relevance to the lockdowns that many have had to endure over the past 2 years or so. They are confined to a small space for almost the entirety of the film and director Sean King O’Grady (scripted by Max Booth III from his novella) uses the limited area well taking us out of the confines for background where necessary with flashbacks to Melissa and her friend Amy (Lisette Alexis). This more about a family with unresolved issues of their making simmering away in the background suddenly forced to confront them.

We Need to do Something is available on digital platforms from 25 October.