I’d been seeing the 2023 film Brooklyn 45 showing up on a lot of “best horror of the year” lists, so when I saw it pop up on Shudder I thought I’d give it a spin. It’s not only set in the 1940s, which intrigued me, but it’s also centered around a séance. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good séance movie, so this seemed right up my alley. The film was directed by Ted Geoghegan, who also directed several other movies I’d seen, including 2015’s We Are Still Here, 2017’s Mohawk, and 2019’s Satanic Panic. The idea for this particular film, as a matter of fact, stemmed from the séance scene in We Are Still Here, which fans of the film pointed to as being a particular favorite.
Geoghegan thus decided to focus an entire film around a séance, and since he wanted the movie to tackle themes of paranoia and hatred during wartime, he specifically set it just after the end of World War II. Geoghegan’s father, a quadriplegic Air Force veteran who later became a history teacher, consulted on the script to ensure accuracy, though sadly he passed away in 2019, well before he could see the finished film.
I will say right off the bat that this movie is not going to be for everyone, largely because it’s a chamber piece that very much plays out like a stage drama. It’s all set in one location in real time, and it consists mainly of long stretches of dialogue occasionally interspersed with sudden violence. I ended up really digging its vibe, though I do think it got slightly repetitive in the second act. It’s not a long film, clocking in at only ninety-three minutes, but I feel there were some scenes that could have been trimmed a bit, as they essentially went over stuff we already knew. That said, though, if you’re on its wavelength, it’s actually a pretty decent watch.
At the beginning of the movie, we’re introduced to our ensemble cast, who are nearly all veterans of the war as well as lifelong friends and are gathering at a Brooklyn brownstone for some (at first) unknown purpose. First, there’s Marla Sheridan (Anne Ramsay), who has a reputation for being the best interrogator in the country, and her somewhat milquetoast husband Bob (Ron E. Rains) who spent the war as a Pentagon pencil pusher. Then there’s Major Paul DiFranco (Ezra Buzzington), a charming gay man who’s set to shortly be tried for war crimes; and Major Archibald Stanton (Jeremy Holm), a hard-ass motherfucker in the R. Lee Ermey vein who harbors absolutely no mercy for his enemies.
This get-together is being hosted at the home of Lieutenant Colonel Clive “Hock” Hockstatter (Larry Fessenden), who’s having a bit of a rough time, to say the least. You see, not long ago, Hock’s wife Susan (Lucy Carapetyan) committed suicide by slitting her wrists, and Hock is devastated by her death, not least because of the guilt he feels for indirectly causing it.
When all his friends have arrived, he tells them via a fantastically acted monologue that he lost all of his previous faith in religion and instead began seeking solace in Spiritualism. He’s not actually sure if ghosts are real, either, but he admits that the thought of his wife just being completely gone is even more horrifying than the idea that her spirit might still be lingering around and blaming him for having a hand in her suicide.
His friends try to reason with him, fearing that his wife’s death may have pushed him over the edge, but he is adamant that he needs his friends around him tonight because he wants to prove that Susan is still out there somewhere. How he plans to do that is by having a séance in order to contact her, and hopefully free himself of his guilt and doubts once and for all.
Hock admits he doesn’t really know what he’s doing in regards to all this séance business, but he’s read several books on the subject and figures he’s just gonna wing it. His friends are initially very reluctant to get involved, particularly Major Stanton, who has no time for this paranormal nonsense and suspects that they’re all enabling Hock’s delusions, but finally, everyone is convinced to participate.
I don’t want to spoil too much of what goes on after the séance kicks off, but it’s not much of a spoiler to say that despite Hock’s supposed cluelessness, the séance works way better than anyone expected. All kinds of ostensibly supernatural events occur, including a violently banging closet door, candles lighting by themselves, and a locket belonging to Susan behaving in a way that lockets don’t generally behave. Although most of the participants in the séance, Major Stanton specifically, are very skeptical and think the whole thing is a setup, eventually the paranormal incidents become so obviously real that everyone is forced to accept them.
As I said, I don’t want to reveal much more about the plot from here on out, because this movie is better if you don’t know what’s coming, but suffice it to say that contacting Susan’s spirit seemed like maybe not the best idea, as it not only gives Hock the justification to do something unthinkable, but also manages to involve a German woman named Hildegard Baumann (Kristina Klebe) who has some involvement in the reason that Susan killed herself.
Additionally, the door to the spirit world being open, it turns out, also ends up implicating all the other characters in various ways, revealing horrible secrets about things they’d done during the war.
This is a solid period piece with some absolutely stellar acting performances, gorgeous cinematography and art direction, and a compelling premise. Although there are some scenes and conversations that seem a tad repetitive, the acting is so good that I didn’t really mind, and the unspooling mystery kept me interested regardless. The movie did actually surprise me at several points, going in directions I didn’t expect, which was a big plus. Keep in mind too that even though this is largely a drama with some sparse horror and supernatural elements, there is some fairly gnarly gore here, so just a heads up if that’s not your thing.
And just a little side note: I actually love the poster art for this movie, but to me, it looks as though they’re trying to sell it more as a horror comedy, which it really isn’t.
I’d recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys bottle movies that involve a small cast and one location, and films that are set up more like stage plays. Fans who are more into over-the-top scares and pulse-pounding action probably won’t find much to like, but if you’re into more quiet, character-based fare with brief spurts of violence, then this might be your cup of tea.
Until next time, keep it creepy, my friends.
The Scare Salon 