Sunday Scaries: It’s High Time for David Lowery to Make a Full On Horror Movie

The Sunday Scaries are upon us once again! Yes, as the weekend concludes, most of us feel an oncoming sense of anticipatory dread about the week ahead. Anxiety about work manifests itself into a feeling that’s known as the Sunday Scaries. However, we at Awards Radar are here to combat that, by taking back the name. Now, we want you think about a horror-centric piece on the site when you hear the term. So, let us continue on with another installment of the Awards Radar Sunday Scaries! Today, we’re looking at a filmmaker who is overdue to get into the horror game…

You’d be forgiven for assuming that David Lowery has already made a horror movie. Now, his films have trafficked in horror-related tones, but he’s yet to do a fright flick. I’m here today to say that it needs to change, as he’d be capable of absolutely knocking one out of the park. He’s dipped toes in that world with work like A Ghost Story, The Green Knight, and now Mother Mary, but it’s high time that we went full on into the world of terror.

In my review of Mother Mary (here), I spoke of Lowery’s latest like so:

When you watch a David Lowery film, you know to expect a unique interpretation of whatever genre he’s operating within. With Mother Mary, Lowery is workin in the realm of the mystery/thriller, though in a way that defies convention. Early on, it’s hard to know exactly what is up his sleeve, so you just give yourself over to his filmmaking and vision. Eventually, it all becomes clearer, and you appreciate being in such confident hands, though for a bit, it can be touch and go. Still, to watch Lowery take his biggest swing to date is a treasure for cinephiles.

Mother Mary starts off with a bang, introducing us to some music, but once the narrative begins, things really slow down. In fact, some audiences might get a bit restless, so it pays to know that things lock in and do pick up. It’s a quiet and meditative work, though not without sudden jolts that, while not trafficking in horror, may well startle you. It’s ultimately a very psychological work, so there’s a discomfort that can brew inside you, intentionally so.

Previously, I did a Sunday Scaries piece here that played off of how terrifying grief can be, using A Ghost Story. This is some of what I said:

Before it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, few actually expected David Lowery to be delivering a horror movie with A Ghost Story. Getting Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara to reunite with their Ain’t Them Bodies Saints filmmaker was unlikely to result in a fright flick. Even Lowery himself teased on social media before the Sundance debut that it was going to be different. Then, people saw it. To call it different is an understatement. However, it’s also brilliant.

For those who don’t know, the film follows C (Affleck) and M (Mara) before, during, and after the former is killed in a car accident. Post death, C continues on as a ghost, depicted in a simple white sheet, as he haunts their home, trying to sustain a connection with his wife. That is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg…

For me, this is a deeply emotional experience. It’s also wildly thought-provoking, as all great cinema should be. Small moments, as when our ghost sees another ghost, just waiting for someone, and how that is resolved, just can make you crumble. The simple emotion of it all as C watches M grieve, before she begins to move on, is (no pun intended) haunting. Then, Lowery opts to make the third act as ambitious as anything, tackling existence, time, and our literal place in the universe. All of that is wonderful, but it comes back to the emotions for me.

Grief, for both parties, is devastatingly depicted here, especially if you’ve dealt with any sort of a sudden loss. C doesn’t have expressions, but his frustration at literally being unable to connect, is likely to rip your heart out. Likewise, M has more overt actions, including the infamous pie-eating sequence, but just watching her listen to his music will make you think of any similar moment in your own life. It’s all high concept, low-fi, and expertly crafted/executed.

A Ghost Story also features a monologue that may well scare you more than any horror film could hope to. Had it not worked, it would have brought the movie to a screeching halt. Instead, it’s a unique way to hammer home the themes at play.

Given all of that, wouldn’t Lowery be able to just go to town on the genre? Imagine how much better Return to Silent Hill would be under his guidance? On the most recent podcast, I told Myles to imagine that film, or Silent Hill 2 itself, helmed by Robert Eggers. Lowery would also have been aces. Beyond that, if an adaptation isn’t up his alley, original horror is so open-ended, he could do just about anything. The possibilities are endless, and for my money, quite exciting.

We may or may not ever see David Lowery make a scary movie, but he’s the type of filmmaker who can make absolutely anything, so a fright flick would make sense. Will I be disappointed if he never goes horror? No, since he deserves to make anything that he likes. That being said, if he ever does make a horror film, I’ll be there with bells on…

Stay tuned for another Sunday Scaries installment next week!