In the middle of a viral outbreak, Monique (Gabby Beans) makes the decision to leave her family bubble and travel to care for her friend Mavis (Emily Davis), who has been experiencing what appears to be a mental break, coupled with sleepwalking. This decision leads Monique on a collision course with a being that haunts her dreams and, potentially, her reality.
In 2018, director Andy Mitton released The Witch in the Window, a fantastic tale of a father and son bonding, with horrific elements permeating in the background, and dreams and reality intertwining. In his 2022 FrightFest hyped follow-up, The Harbinger, the importance of human contact is still there, along with the wrapped realities, but the horror and scares are notched up to another level. This is a movie that, for want of a better term, put the shits right up me.
Set during a viral outbreak, in a time when social bubbles have to be formed and removing yourself from this bubble requires 14-day isolation, the C-word is never mentioned, but the setting is enough to bring back memories which may be triggering for some viewers. Monique is tasked with looking after her reclusive friend Mavis. You see, Mavis is having trouble differentiating between her dreams and reality and sometimes sleeps for days. She also seems to think someone or something is after her. So Monique makes the call to leave her family bubble, something her dad and brother are none too happy about. Shacking up with Mavis, it initially appears her presence is of some help to her friend, but things begin to take a turn. Mavis sleeps standing up, muttering as she does, and still has fears of “him”. Monique starts to have odd, vivid dreams, which bleed into her own reality. Ghostly children appear to her, disturbing phone calls are received from relatives, and a cloaked, plague mask-wearing entity appears to be stalking her: The Harbinger. The two women soon realise that to escape this horrific predicament, their cooperation could be a matter of life or death.
Whether it hides in the corner of rooms, peers from behind a door, or forcefully bursts through a wall, each appearance brings complete terror and a longing for it to be gone. The fact that this entity’s endgame is to completely erase you from existence is just another layer to an already horrific appearance.
What Mitton achieves throughout The Harbinger is nothing short of spectacular. Many a time I felt I was understanding how a scene was playing out, only to be thrown completely mere seconds later. I was sure of how the protagonist would tackle her supernatural foe, and was thrown a curve ball. His effortless merge between what is real and what is conjured in the throws of sleep keeps you guessing throughout. Also, the oft-overused and (regularly cheap) jump scare is executed to perfection in scenes involving not just the Harbinger, but other forces.
In terms of the titular Harbinger, it is a supernatural force for the ages. The plague mask has been seen numerous times throughout horror history, but this particular beast will last long in the memory of those who watch. Whether it hides in the corner of rooms, peers from behind a door, or forcefully bursts through a wall, each appearance brings complete terror and a longing for it to be gone. The fact that this entity’s endgame is to completely erase you from existence is just another layer to an already horrific appearance.
With the cast, all play their part, but Gabby Beans as Monique is by far the most engaging. This is unsurprising as she is the main focus of the story, however, her portrayal of the confusion and fear Monique feels from one dream-like hellscape to another sets her apart. You feel her genuine love for her family and her affection for a friend in need. She is a good person, and Beans portrays this fantastically. For those at FrightFest 2022, The Harbinger made big waves, and I can see why. Easily within my top 5 horror movies of the last 5 years, I am firmly on board the bandwagon, and cannot wait to see what Mitton comes up with next.
FrightFest Presents and Signature Entertainment releases The Harbinger on Digital Platforms 23rd January
