‘Honeymoon’: A Character Piece That Easily Gets Beneath Your Skin

Honeymoon (2014)
Directed by: Leigh Janiak
Written by: Phil Graziadei, Leigh Janiak 

I will admit, this movie interested me since the moment I first saw the trailer. Mostly because it was one of those unrevealing previews that left you scratching your head. To me, it’s always best to show the least amount scenes possible in a trailer so the film is able to surprise you more.

Honeymoon follows a young couple who recently married and embark to the wife’s family’s cabin on the lake for a romantic secluded honeymoon. The wife Bea is played by Rose Leslie and the husband Paul is played by Harry Treadway.

The film starts off a little slow, with the story focusing on showing the quirky couple together and displaying the deep connection they seem to share. On the second night of their trip, Bea disappears into the woods and claims she was sleepwalking. The next morning Bea starts acting very strange and nothing like herself. She couldn’t even do the simplest tasks, like making coffee or breakfast the correct way. The rest of the film is her delving into a character unrecognizable to Paul. I don’t want to give much more away.. I think the film acts on subtle surprises and twists that make it all the more effective.

Honeymoon is mainly a character piece, that relies on the character’s interactions with each-other to build tension. And it works, immensely. There are so many tense moments in the film that you easily feel it. I was on the edge of my seat a lot and for the last twenty minutes or so I was freaked the hell out. There were some parts were a tad predictable but not to the point that it really annoyed me or anything.

When Honeymoon was over, I felt uneasy and creeped the hell out. I wanted to keep all the lights on while sleeping and never go camping or venture off anywhere secluded again. And for the record, if I ever wake up in the middle of the night and see a bright light shining in, shit’s really going to hit the fan!

Overall, I’d give the film a 4/5 and would recommend anyone who enjoys slow-burners.