Darling (2015)

More likely to dull by repetitive creep than memorably rattle the senses.

The director's Polanski preoccupation borders on imitation. Still, Keating's flattery is sincere, and so is his wish to stylishly freak you silly.

Keating ... crafts his own stylish take on the psycho and haunting genres in between winks to the classics.

Using the simplest of settings - and familiar genre devices - Mickey Keating's horror outing "Darling" manages to conjure an effectively unsettling miasma.

Thanks to excellent work from Carter, creepy and big-eyed innocent as required and strong throughout the 75-minute film, Darling holds its own as a satisfyingly deliberate-moving thriller.

Keating, and his leading lady Carter, are horror masters in the making.

An unconventionally conceived workplace horror movie and surreal home invasion thriller. But more impressively visual than visceral, as cityscape craft upstages storytelling, conceding to gore that ultimately loses its way in search of character depth.

Keating keeps his cards close, a common conceit of the films he's referencing: Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby, The Innocents, Persona, just to name a few. Does he succeed? You'd better believe it.

A stylish exercise in horror tropes... may be little more than an imitation, but at least the models are first-rate.

For all its attempts to startle, the most startling thing about Darling is how off-target this promising director's third feature film is.

It's an immaculate work of art and one of the most affecting horror movies I've ever seen.