Next of Kin (1982)

"There is something evil in this house." - Journal entry

A retirement home seems to be haunted by a dark past.
Starring: Jacki Kerin, John Jarratt, Alex Scott, Gerda Nicolson

Link to IMDB

With the death of her mother, Linda has inherited the estate of Montclare, a large mansion in the country that functions as a retirement home for a dozen old people. Linda feels a connection to the house, so she's unsure if she wants to sell the business or remain at Montclare to help Connie, the head nurse, and Dr. Barton, the physician.

A foreboding atmosphere quickly builds a sense of dread as Linda is continually spied upon by shadowy figures, and subtle peculiarities happen in the house that make her feel like she's never alone. As Linda reads her mother's journal she discovers that strange things had also happened to her, and before she died she began to think the house was haunted by an evil presence.

Barney

Linda's friend Barney occasionally visits to cheer her up, but the more Linda reads about her mother's past the more she begins to think that Connie and Dr. Barton are hiding something from her. After a sudden death of one of the elderly residents, Linda learns that this also mirrors what her mother had experienced and a chilling scenario seems to be repeating.

As her paranoia and fear of the unknown presence watching her continues to build she gets Barney involved in the mystery; but Linda's inquiries into the past have placed her on a dark path and she's going to realize that some secrets are better left hidden.

"Don't go digging into the past, Linda. It's gone." - Dr. Barton

Despite this being a slow burn, it remains tense and captivating at every moment. We are kept guessing about what exactly is happening at Montclare as the details are given to us in small ambiguous pieces, constantly adding to the mystery. The excellent directing and haunting aesthetics builds the suspense into a tangible component of the movie, which is also aided by the creepy synth score of Klaus Schulze.

Spooky stairs = symbolism

The last 20 minutes take the story for an unexpected turn, with a twisted climax that hits you like a slap across the face. It becomes a night of terror for Linda, as the massive amount of established tension has no choice but to violently explode on the screen!
Intelligent, poetic and menacing, this movie really caught me off guard, and it's definitely an underappreciated gem of the genre.

Be sure not to miss:
- Two thematic devices to keep an eye on; water and the colour red.
- Probably the most intense scene ever that involves nothing more than sugar cubes.
- The koala puppet.

Internet review:
"This movie was CRAZY. Crazy good! My head is still spinning from that ending." - kirbyloveshorror

Should I watch it?
Perfect when you want a modern gothic mystery.

Where can I find it?
Links here.

Next of Kin gets...