Horror Movie Review: Sorry, Charlie (2023)

From writer Luke Genton and director Colton Tran comes Sorry, Charlie. A horror/thriller film that is supposedly inspired by the true story of a killer that used recordings of a baby crying to draw women out of their houses.

It was the sound of a baby crying outside that drew Charlie (Kathleen Kenny) out of her house. Whereupon she was attacked by a masked individual, raped, and left for dead. She would not be the only victim of this evil person, going by the name of The Gentleman, and wearing a suit, top hat, and skull mask (Travis William Harris and voiced by Connor Brannigan). However, she survived, and months later sees the good news that a man is arrested and convicted of being the serial rapist and killer.

Now heavily pregnant (from the rape) and a recluse, Charlie has found solace in her work as a phone operator working for a crisis helpline. Not only helping others, but finding a way to deal with her own trauma.

Trauma that continues to lift its ugly head up high as she is not convinced the right person has been convicted of the crimes of The Gentleman. All because she heard his voice and the voice she hears on the news is not him. She believes that he is watching her and planning to finish the job, but is this all just the result of fear and paranoia?

Understandable fear and paranoia, but not felt by the viewer, unfortunately. As Sorry, Charlie delivers an underbaked story with emphasis on dramatics over horror, without having the depth needed. What should have been truly compelling ends up being extremely dull, at least until the final few minutes, where we get a strong ending. Although that strength only comes because of Kathleen Kenny’s excellent performance.

At only 70 minutes long, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, yet it somehow ends up feeling much longer because of its slow pace. A pace that seems purposeful to try and create some tension, but one that fails because all of Sorry, Charlie’s scares are rooted in familiar slasher tropes and supernatural hints. None of which are done well.

A great performance in a lacklustre horror film isn’t enough to make this a recommended watch. It’s just too dull overall to be worth anyone’s time.