Tags:
Film: Capture
Year: 2026
Director: Bruce Wemple
Writer: Bruce Wemple
Starring: Kaitlyn Lunardi, Cedric Gegel and Chris Cimperman
Review:
This was a film that I was able to see via screener thanks to Erika from Gold Dust PR. The poster and the bit of the press release that I read did intrigue me. I’ll be honest, it did look to be ‘ghostly’, a term for films that came out in the 2010s that were generic. I still like to come in with an open mind. This is also a Scouring through the Sixes watch for 2026.
Synopsis: after mysteriously inheriting her parents’ house, a lifelong orphan finds a camcorder and a collection of video tapes containing the gruesome secrets of her family’s past, and the horrifying truth behind the camcorder they were captured on.
We start this by seeing thick woods and there’s a house nestled in it. There is then a couple where the woman, I believe her name is Megan (Molly McCluskey). She has hurt her ankle. They’re trying to find a way back to the road. That’s when they notice the house. They head to it to see if they can find a phone. The guy goes inside and finds that it is abandoned. Megan notices something in an upstairs window. Something happens to her when the red light on the camera turns on.
It then shifts to a woman walking up in bed. She’s in her underwear. The reason for her concern is that she’s not supposed to be there. Her name is Abby (Kaitlyn Lunardi). Her brother is the guy who comes in and his name is Steve (Cedric Gegel). She hooked up with a guy and the place she’s staying belongs to her sister, Laura. She isn’t thrilled that her sister has been squatting in her condo.
It is revealed that Abby was adopted and it sounds like she’s had troubles. Steve tells her something. He’s a private investigator and when trying to find information about her parents, he discovered a lawyer looking for her. She contacts him to learn that her parents are deceased. There was a house left to her in the will. It should have been sold, but there were issues and it is still in limbo. Now that she’s been found, it is signed over to her. She apologizes to Laura, telling her that she’s going to sell the house and clear her debts. She needs to see the place first.
She takes a train to the town and goes into the local bar, seeing if someone can give her a ride. Everyone ignores her at first, that is until Kyle (Chris Cimperman) offers to take her. When she gets there, it is the house from the opening. She goes in and explores. Something that catches her interest is a box of tapes. She also finds a camera.
Abby learns her parents are Jason (Grant Schumacher) and Cameron Greene (also Lunardi). Her mother, a psychologist, planned to use the house as a home office, which worried Jason due to his own genetic illness and the presence of mentally ill patients. Abby finds a tape from a patient, Kevin (Will Maizel), revealing a terrifying truth that affected her parents and the house's past, putting her and visitors in danger. She also might not be alone either.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is by saying that this is interesting, that this is the second film that I’ve seen this year involving a cursed video camera. Both are independent productions so I assume it is just a coincidence. Both use it in similar, but different ways as well. The concept of a cursed object, especially when it involves technology, is something that I like. J-horror did interesting things with it so I was intrigued to see what this would do with the idea.
To set up the story, we use familiar tropes: an isolated house in the woods lacking cellular coverage. Abby, who doesn’t have a car, is stranded. The large, solitary house is creepy. Abby is also an alcoholic, with withdrawals indicated by shaky hands. Her determination to learn about her parents keeps her from leaving prematurely. Lunardi does a good job in her performance. Added credit for also playing the character of her mother.
Let’s then look more at the haunting aspect. These are the figurative demons that Abby is dealing with. Her addiction is part of that. She doesn’t seem to fit in with her family, being that she is adopted as an element. She also seems to bring on critiques with decisions. Steve does love and wants to help her. What she then discovers is this cursed camera. This is a window into learning about her parents and her past. Even though there is danger for what harbors and is able to do, she doesn’t want to lose that connection. I do like how this builds tension and atmosphere.
That should be enough for the story to shift over to talking about the acting performances. I’ve already given credit to Lunardi, who takes on dual roles as well as showing good fear. The drive to learn about where she came from is good, but I also like seeing the elements of her destructive personality. Gegel works as her sibling who loves her. He might try to help too much. Cimperman works as this guy who seems nice, in a time when Abby is isolated. Schumacher, Leah Eckardt, LeJon Woods and the rest of the cast did round this out for what was needed.
All that is left then is filmmaking. In general, I do think that this is well made. The cinematography and framing are solid. What I like best is after something is revealed about the camera, Abby walks around the house to see a different form. It reminded me of Silent Hill. The effects that we got were solid. I’m guessing there is CGI, but no issues there. What they did with practically done ones looked good. Other than that, I did think that music got eerie at times and what they did with the sound design worked.
In conclusion, my biggest critique is that there isn't a lot of originality to the concept. It borrows heavily from J-horror staples like Ringu and Ju-on, and the isolated house setting is overly familiar. However, the film successfully overcomes these shortcomings through its solid character work and commitment to building a palpable atmosphere, rather than relying solely on jump scares. The dual performance by Lunardi is compelling, and director Bruce Wemple manages to weave the figurative demons of addiction and family history into the literal supernatural threat with commendable skill. Ultimately, this is a well-crafted, moody, and character-driven piece of independent horror that proves a solid entry for 2026.
My Rating: 6.5 out of 10