Behind You Movie Storyline. Two young sisters, sent to live with their estranged Aunt, find that all the mirrors in her house are covered or hidden. When one of the sisters happens upon a mirror in the basement, she unknowingly releases a malicious demon that had haunted her mother and aunt years ago.
Written and directed by Andrew Mecham and Matthew Whedon, “Behind You” concerns two sullen young sisters who are put under the care of their estranged Aunt Beth (Jan Broberg) after their mother died. The younger sister, Claire (Elizabeth Birkner), doesn’t like talking to strangers after the loss, and clings to her stuffed animal while older sister Olivia (Addy Miller) tries to assist with communication.
The two have a great deal of suspicion about their aunt, who voices early on that she doesn’t want them there, and the neighbor Charles (Philip Brodie), who plainly looks like he’s up to no good. Aunt Beth tells them they absolutely must not go into the basement, or take the elevator, and so it’s only convenient when this bossy host is also revealed to be a murderer. But there is much more to that story, and to the house, especially as young Claire gets lured down to said basement, where an evil spirit wants to get out of a mirror.
Film Review for Behind You
Two young sisters unwittingly unleash a demon while staying with their estranged aunt in Andrew Mecham and Matthew Whedon’s horror film.
Mirrors have long exerted a dark fascination, from the Bloody Mary game you may have played in childhood to its use in numerous horror films including Candyman, Oculus and, of course, Mirrors. (These reflective items could, of course, become much scarier as we see ourselves after months of self-quarantining.) While this latest genre film to employ the device doesn’t add anything particularly fresh to the mix, Behind You, marking the directorial debut of Andrew Mecham and Matthew Whedon (brother of Joss), offers a few spooky thrills to get you through another night stuck at home.
The low-budget indie begins with teenage Olivia (Addy Miller) and her younger sister Claire (Elizabeth Birkner) being escorted by concerned family friend Camilla (Aimee-Lynn Chadwick) to the home of their estranged Aunt Beth (Jan Bronberg). Camilla has been taking care of the sisters, whose mother is dead, while their father has been on an extended business trip. But now she’s forced to leave the children with their relative who clearly doesn’t relish having them as guests.
Aunt Beth, whose forbidding demeanor makes her seem like a character in a gothic novel, informs the new arrivals that there are rules that must be obeyed. The girls are forbidden to go into the locked basement, because “there are rats.” They are to ignore any noises they might hear during the night, because she has a “tendency to sleepwalk.” As if this isn’t all weird enough, the girls quickly realize that the house is utterly devoid of mirrors, for reasons that go unexplained. Fortunately for them, a friendly neighbor, Charles (Philip Brodie), is frequently on hand to lighten the atmosphere.
Needless to say, it doesn’t take long before Claire, who is so emotionally traumatized by her mother’s passing that she speaks only through her stuffed bunny, sneaks into the basement. She happens upon a mirror where words magically appear in dust, ones that seem to come from her mother, including the plea, “I need to get out.” The little girl manages to make that happen, but what emerges instead turns out to be, as one character describes it, “an entity of extreme malevolence” (physically embodied in fleeting moments by a lithe James C. Morris) who wreaks havoc in the household.
Behind You features little that horror film fans haven’t seen endless times before. There’s nothing wrong with familiar conventions, of course, but the novice writers-directors here fail to enliven them with the sort of wit or inventiveness that would make their effort stand out. The pic’s strongest element proves to be its creepily atmospheric visuals, with cinematographer Benjamin Allred and production designer Justin Partridge making the most of the story’s single setting. The practical visual effects (there was clearly no money in the budget for CGI) are equally effective, with Christian Davis’ musical score adding further tension.
There’s no compensating, however, for the contrived plotting (one suspenseful scene involving a nut allergy medical emergency feels particularly extraneous) and hokey situations on display. The performers do what they can with the tired material, with Birkner and Miller looking convincingly frightened as the endangered children and Broberg (the subject of Netflix’s disturbing 2017 documentary Abducted in Plain Sight) impressively chilling as the officious aunt with a tragic past. Best of all, however, is Philip Brodie, who infuses his portrayal of the genial but mysterious Charles with intriguing ambiguity.
Behind You (2020)
Directed by: Andrew Mecham, Matthew Whedon
Starring: Addy Miller, Elizabeth Birkner, Jan Broberg, Philip Brodie, Aimee-Lynn Chadwick, Sienna Carlson, Sterling Evans, Caroline Labrum, Charan Prabhakar, James C. Morris
Screenplay by: Andrew Mecham, Matthew Whedon
Production Design by: Justin Partridge
Cinematography by: Benjamin Allred
Film Editing by: Andy Matthews, Aaron Tharp
Costume Design by: Emily Jacobson
Set Decoration by: William Rowan Jr.
Art Direction by: Lauren Spalding
Music by: Christian Davis
MPAA Rating: R for some violence and bloody images.
Distributed by: Vertical Entertainment
Release Date: April 20, 2020
Visits: 83
