Horror Movie Review: Honeymoon (2014)

Honeymoon is a sci-fi horror film that released in 2014. It was directed by Leigh Janiak as her feature film directional debut. Paul & Bea are newlyweds who head to a cabin situated in the secluded countryside for their honeymoon. Everything is going wonderfully until Paul finds Bea lost and disorientated in the middle of the night. Afterwards, things only get stranger as it begins to become clear that the person Paul brought back may not be Bea at all.

After her disappearance, Bea’s behaviour becomes increasingly distant and strange. One night as Paul is lying awake, he sees some bright lights through the windows, but when he goes to investigate he finds nothing. As Paul sees his wife’s behaviour becoming more erratic he finds unique marks on Bea’s inner thighs which she passes off as mosquito bites.

Earlier, Paul and Bea had gone to a local restaurant where they encountered Bea’s childhood friend, Will. They walked in on Will acting strangely before his ill-looking wife Annie appeared and told them to get away. Due to Bea’s condition worsening and her showing signs similar to Annie, Luke returns to the restaurant for answers. He sees Will’s wife Annie outside behaving strangely, when pressed about Will’s whereabouts, says “He’s hiding”. When she leaves, Paul finds Will’s hat floating in the water.

Sometime later during an argument, Bea locks herself in the bathroom. Paul breaks in and finds her bleeding, she’s repeatedly stabbing herself in the genitals. Paul then ties her to the bed with the intention of getting answers once and for all.

Honeymoon is a genuinely great, modern science fiction horror film. Both of the main actors in the film deliver outstanding performances. Due to this Bea & Paul have a lot of chemistry. The film spends a good chunk of time developing their relationship and love for each other making it feel believable. You’ll get to know the characters which makes you feel as suspicious as Paul does when Bea starts to act odd. I felt Paul’s distress when she couldn’t remember simple details about herself or their time together. It’s legitimately saddening to witness her deterioration because they are so happy and full of life at the start.

Another aspect I liked was that Paul almost always takes the logical approach to every new situation. He does and says all of the things that I would in such a scenario. Honeymoon provides a compelling mystery that unfolds at a steady pace. There are plenty of moments of high tension as the mystery slowly unravels. However, that slowness may irk some people. If you want the answers then you’ll have to be patient. Still, it’s debateable whether or not you’ll be satisfied when you do get them. It’s clear-cut enough but with some ambiguity that gives the mystery a creepy feel.

Overall, Honeymoon is an engaging, edge of your seat thriller. The performances are fantastic with Bea’s slow descent giving the film much needed chills. It even throws in some very decent makeup/gore effects. While it is a tad slow in places and not exactly original, you can’t really ask for much more all things considered.