Baghead ( 2023 ) Stay Away From The Hole Scene,,,,

A young woman inherits a run-down pub and discovers a dark secret within its basement - Baghead - a shape-shifting creature that will let you speak to lost loved ones, but not without consequence.

Following the death of her estranged father (Peter Mullan), Iris (Freya Allan) learns she has inherited a run-down, centuries-old pub. She travels to Berlin to identify her father's body and meet with The Solicitor (Ned Dennehy) to discuss the estate. Little does she know, when the deed is signed she will become inextricably tied to an unspeakable entity that resides in the pub's basement - Baghead - a shape-shifting creature that can transform into the dead. Two thousand in cash for two minutes with the creature is all it takes for desperate loved ones to ease their grief. Neil (Jeremy Irvine), who has lost his wife, is Iris' first customer. Like her father, Iris is tempted to exploit the creature's powers and help desperate people for a price. But she soon discovers breaking the two-minute rule can have terrifying consequences. Together with her best friend Katie (Ruby Barker), Iris must battle to keep control of Baghead and figure out how to destroy her, before she destroys them.
The brick-walled basement turns this slow-dripping dread into a steadier stream of sinister suggestions. Behind a heavy wooden door marked with odd runes and down a dark staircase dwells Baghead. Her head covered by a sack mask, Baghead is a crone-like creature capable of communicating with the dead. For years, Owen exploited the gnarled witch's ability by permitting grieving patrons to pay to see deceased loved ones. There are rules, of course. For starters, sessions can only last two minutes. Any time beyond that gives Baghead more power. Fortunately, Owen can control her to some degree because owning the pub also makes him the steward of Baghead.
"Baghead" fulfills the classic criteria for a mood-based movie. It's true that the film incorporates tried-and-true tropes like a lot of cautious tiptoeing by torchlight down creaky hallways and phantom visages skulking in shadows. Yet ambient lighting and careful camera movements are so acutely in tune with each escalating step of suspense, formulaic frights are easy to ignore in favor of appreciating the delicate craftwork on display. In making its own deep mythology regarding Baghead's background, the movie builds an immersive world inside a small space capable of sucking in anyone glamoured by its witchy cinematic spell.

I'd further label "Baghead" as a textbook supernatural thriller, one which indie filmmakers would be wise to emulate. The cast is compact, consisting of only ten actors total, and action remains confined almost entirely inside a single location. Those conditions are often a cheat meant to squeeze a tight budget, but they feel natural to "Baghead's" focused narrative, not like the restrictions came first and the script followed after. It also feels so much bigger in scope. Despite the claustrophobic cellar seeping intangible horror between each mote of dust, there's a sense that Baghead's curse carries an immensity whose stakes reach wider into the outside world.

The film isn't without imperfections. Baghead's crypt-keeper appearance has its fright factor turned up high, although some spotty CGI in the form of fire as well as one scene of someone clawing off their face could have used additional doses of movie magic. Along with some iffy plotting involving a serendipitous rescue, there's also a routine exposition dump the third act could do without. I find Baghead more compelling as a mysterious enigma, so I'm not sure the full details of her origin are necessary. On the other hand, viewers who demand explanations every time a movie introduces an otherworldly element will get what they wish for.

When it remains on track, which is most of the runtime, "Baghead" hits horror's highest notes for atmospheric spookiness, bleak character drama, and thematic terror revolving around regret. Highlighted by engaging acting where even the briefest roles pull their small share of the omnipresent dread's heavy-hanging weight, "Baghead" belongs with similar creepers like "Oculus" (review here) and "Relic" (review here) for its brand of cerebral thrills. Fit for a skin-crawling double bill with "Talk to Me," "Baghead" is highly recommended for viewers who like their horror to burn slow, yet white-hot with macabre intensity.

Cast
Freya Allan (Iris Lark)Jeremy Irvine (Neil)Ruby Barker (Katie)Peter Mullan (Owen Lark)Anne Müller (Baghead)Svenja Jung (Sarah)Ned Dennehy (Solicitor)Julika Jenkins (Regina)Saffron Burrows (Catherine)Felix Römer (Otto Vogler)