Tags:
Film: The Well
Year: 2023
Director: Federico Zampaglione
Writer: Federico Zampaglione and Stefano Masi
Starring: Lauren LaVera, Claudia Gerini and Jonathan Dylan King
Review:
This was a movie that I learned about through friends going to FrightFest in London. I know that Kate and Duncan, both podcasters that I listen to saw this movie there. Now a selling point here was that this featured Lauren LaVera from the Terrifier series. This movie was on my radar so when I got the chance to see the screener thanks to Erika from Gold Dust PR, it jumped up on my list. Being a 2024 horror release also helped. I’ve also given this a second watch to see where I sat with it for my end of year list.
Synopsis: a budding art restorer travels to a small Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory. Little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain.
We start this in 1993. Lisa Gray (LaVera) is on a bus in Italy. Her father was a great restorer of paintings and she grew up learning from him. He has sent her to a remote village to help with the one from the synopsis. Now on this bus ride she meets another group of Americans. They are biologists and have someone to help with what they need. This group consists of Tracy (Taylor Zaudtke), Tony (Gianluigi Calvani) and Madison (Courage Oviawe). They get dropped at the same place and vow to meet up a few days later.
Lisa is waiting for another bus when she learns from Marcus (Jonathan Dylan King) that it is no longer in service. He offers to walk with her to show her where the place is. It just so happens that he works at the pub across the way. She then meets Baroness Emma (Claudia Gerini). She shows her the painting that needs restored. It was damaged by the fireplace below it. Time is short as they need it completed in a couple of weeks. Emma is putting her faith in Lisa, knowing how good her father is.
She goes about her work and soon uncovers the darkness of this painting's subject matter. Emma has a daughter of Giulia (Linda Zampaglione), who is shy. She tries to warn Lisa about what she is doing. There is also the concurrent running story of the group that she met on the bus. They're attacked by Arruda (Lorenzo Renzi) who brings them to Dorka (Melanie Gaydos). She is a strange looking person. Both seem to serve something that lives in the well. There's a much bigger plot going on here with time running short.
That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the story. Where I want to start is that this doesn't have the deepest story and it also isn't necessarily doing a lot new. What I will say though is that it has elements of things that I'm a fan of, so I roll with what it is giving us. There is a cult of people doing a ritual, a monster that might be harboring secrets and this goes to brutal places.
Now that I've set that up, let me delve into this more. This feels like it is borrowing elements of movies before it and making their own stitched together story. That isn't necessarily a bad thing though. There were just parts that were predictable to me. Thankfully, they weren't major things. It feels like it is borrowing from The House with Laughing Windows in that we are following someone coming to a remote place that has a history to restore a work of art. I do like the fact that Lisa is the daughter of a famous person in this field. Being that he is played by Giovanni Lombardo Radice made me smile as well. Her being an American in a remote village helps with that 'fish out of water' narrative. It is also a solid way to introduce that other group on the bus to the village. We meet them just as Lisa is so it makes sense for the viewer and our character to get to know them.
Then there is the painting that needs to be restored. There is an evil presence to it. Part of that is with the creepy imaginary that Lisa reveals. The other part of it is that she cuts her finger while cleaning one spot, so that almost feels like the first blood sacrifice. The deeper we get into this, the more that you feel there is a dark reason why Emma needs this restored by the date she gives. The pressure is put on Lisa so I like the fact that she just can't leave. She will fail her father and miss out on making this large sum of money. The stakes feel real and build tension.
I'll then shift over to this dungeon where the other group are kept. This is where I wanted just a bit more. I don't understand why Arruda acts the way he does. I'm guessing he's just a mindless zombie-like henchman, but I needed just something more there. Dorka is also creepy looking and there is a bit of backstory that would help this as well. I do like revealing these characters and what is in the well through the painting. There is a classic idea that is incorporated in that I won't spoil. The ritual and eventually that there's a cult here piqued my interest.
Let me then shift over to the acting. LaVera was solid here. The three films with her in it that I've seen have impressed me so far. She has a good look about herself and I believe that she would be this art restorer. There's a strength that she conveys as it goes on while also seeming timid upon arriving that adds something. Gerini is good as this baroness. She gives off that arrogance with her title. She also seems to love her daughter while also having enough annoyance with things that she does. Zampaglione was good as that daughter. King, Renzi, Yassine Fadel, Zaudtke, Calvani and Oviawe were all solid. Gaydos has such a creepy look which is great. I also loved the cameo by Radice. There wasn't a bad performance here.
All that is left then is filmmaking. I'd say that the cinematography was good along with the framing. They capture the feel of the isolated village. Something else is that this is set in 93, which takes away the use of technology. There is also a specific reason for that year that worked. The best part though are the effects. They went practical and they look real. It goes brutal with things that happened. I loved the gore. Then going along with that, I thought the soundtrack fit was needed as did the sound design.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie. It has aspects that I love with a cult, ritual and a solid enough mystery. There were things that I guessed, plus it also feels like it is using story elements from other movies. The acting was good. LaVera leads the way with everyone pushing her to where she ends up. This is well-made with the effects leading the way. The cinematography and framing help to hide the seams while also building a good atmosphere. After my second watch, I still think this is a solid film. My rating dropped slightly, but don’t avoid this movie do that.
My Rating: 7 out of 10