SXSW 2023 Review: “Brooklyn 45” – Mysterious Yet Familiar Horror!

Shudder Studios is constantly developing original content for its streaming service in the horror genre. Luckily, this year at the South by Southwest festival, Brooklyn 45 had multiple screenings before it will be released as a Shudder Original movie. Five military veterans come together as old friends when one of them asks for the group’s support after a tragedy. What they thought would be a shoulder or a hand ends up being a request for them to engage in a seance to connect with his dead wife.

Set in 1945, as the title suggests, Geoghegan’s new film features a historical backdrop with a cast of characters going up against a force they were skeptical even existed.

The illusion the characters were old friends meeting up again worked well and enhanced the drama between them during the seance. Although the actors had good chemistry, the characters were a little bit underdeveloped to connect with them emotionally. With a concept like a seance, it seems that many films have examined it. This prompts Brooklyn 45 to go above and beyond expectations. The story played out very systematically and with the lack of character connection, it fell flat in some parts.

Brooklyn 45 felt like it was banking on the mystery it was trying to unravel. However, it didn’t hold a lot of weight between the friends but instead introduced a new character that was focused on. With the amount of time going back and forth, trying to solve the mystery at hand, it took away from the relationships that could have been expanded more to the audience. The special effects felt modern and old-timey, which was definitely a plus. The set design of the apartment was built fabulously and it made the movie a pleasant scenic watch.

Filmmaker Ted Geoghegan discussed Brooklyn 45 in a Q&A and explained how close to his heart the film was. When it is released on Shudder this summer, give it a shot!

‘Brooklyn 45’ Rating – 2.5/5

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Stephanie Young

Senior Associate Writer at Just for Movie Freaks

Stephanie is a huge film fanatic, a librarian, and a baker! And when she isn't busy doing these activities, she is running around with her Australian Cattle Dog!

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