By: Keaton Marcus

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 14, YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!

Wow, this thing's a real stinker. Floria Sigismondi’s adaptation on the classic horror novella The Turn of the Screw has finally hit the big screen, dubbed The Turning. The result is beautifully made garbage, made to be forgotten and thrown away without having any memorable moments. The film may be very nice to look at, but that can only rarely distract from the cheap jump scares and the abrupt, unsatisfying ending that closes out an already terrible 94 minutes with something worse. This is the case with most PG-13 horror flicks, but this type of movie is beginning to go down the drain. It may have ghostly specters in the distance and gorgeous contrast between the characters' clothing and the background, but something that it's lacking in is the scares! I get terrified at many simple things and this film couldn't even do that for me. I can't wait for this movie to leave my mind.

The movie is about a young woman named Kate (Mackenzie Davis) who quits her job as a teacher and decides to become a governess at a mysterious estate home to two children whose parents died. However, she meets the two kids, Flora (Brooklynn Prince) and Miles (Finn Wolfhard), she begins to realize that there is more to the story. Then, unexplained events begin to occur around the house. Principally, it's the typical creepy children story that's been told many times before. But they could have at least made it chilling. Just one good scare? A single fright to satisfy horror-hungry viewers? Well, sadly, that didn't happen.

The cast, which actually consists of some talented people, were mostly mediocre as well. Lead by Mackenzie Davis, who starred in last year's Terminator: Dark Fate (and was the best part about it), tried her very best but could rarely overcome the plodding screenplay and uneven direction which dragged the actress down a little much. Heading the supporting cast was another prominent actor, Finn Wolfhard, who's starred in both It and the viral Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things. Remember, he also had a role in The Addams Family reboot last year. Not even Wolfhard could save the movie, acting much like a sexual predator throughout the movie. That's right, watching Davis' role while she sleeps, telling her she looks "good on a horse" and pretty much just acting like a total weirdo. Brooklynn Prince, however, did bring some charm into her role, but her part was too small to have any real effect.

Really, the only thing that's truly terrifying about this movie is the idea of a possible sequel. Though the disappointing box office performance did sort of cut that possibility, the ending sure is a cliffhanger. A cliffhanger that moviegoers will despise for the rest of their lives. Possibly the only memorable part of the whole affair was the worst bit, the conclusion. I won't spoil anything about this ending, you'll have to witness this piece of trash yourselves, but don't say I didn't warn you. Hopefully, the stars got a lot of cash for unfortunately being in this heap of burning garbage, that's all I have to say to them. One thing's for sure though, Henry James must be Turning in his grave. Pun intended.

The final opinion is: Stylish, yet contrived and boring, The Turning is a visually impressive trash heap that suffers from the tired direction, a sloppy screenplay and a sluggish ending...$KIP IT

Rent for $5.99 or Buy for $19.99 in SD and HD on Prime Video