What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is found footage at its best, with effective horror elements and a strong focus on family bonds at its core.
Director: Danny Villanueva Jr.
Genre: Found Footage, Horror
Run Time: 80′
Fantastic Fest Premiere: September 22-25, 2024
Release Date: TBA
There is something deeply unnerving about the realism and uncertainty one experiences while watching a found footage horror film, and when done right, it’s one of the subgenres that terrifies me the most. Danny Villanueva Jr.’s What Happened to Dorothy Bell? was not only my last watch of Fantastic Fest but one that very much took me by surprise.
The film follows Ozzie (Asya Meadows) who, as a kid, was extremely close to her grandmother. One fateful day she was brutally attacked by her grandmother, seemingly out of nowhere. As an adult, Ozzie seeks therapy to work through the trauma she carries from the sinister event she experienced as a child. While digging deeper into her past, she becomes convinced that her grandmother’s behavior was out of the norm and that there may have been something much darker at play.
Though What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is a paranormal-found footage film through and through, it also exhibits an unexpected amount of depth. The film showcases the memories we deeply cherish of loved ones who have passed, and how they stay with us throughout our lives and bring us comfort, even into adulthood. Trauma is a key element in many horror films and is often overused, but in What Happened to Dorothy Bell? Ozzie’s challenging past and the trauma she carries tie seamlessly into the horror elements of the feature. This differs from an overabundance of horror movies where trauma exists as a mere plot device, holding no real value or a significant purpose.
Asya Meadows does a fantastic job portraying Ozzie, especially as viewers spend a significant amount of the film watching the character in solo scenes. At no point does the narrative become dull when she has no one to bounce off of, and her on-screen presence anchors the feature. As a character, she is curious and determined, representing just how far a family member is willing to go to get answers and restore people’s faith in someone near and dear to them, especially when their character has been brought into question.
After watching What Happened to Dorothy Bell? there’s no doubt that Danny Villanueva Jr. has a promising future in the industry, and I can’t wait to see his future work. This is only the second feature film he has directed, yet he has a real gift behind the camera and knows just what to do to instill dread in the audience. His framing of characters and use of space is so effective because each wide shot leaves the audience intensely focused and in a constant state of suspense as we wonder if an untoward presence might rear its ugly head. Sometimes it does, and other times it’s a false alarm, but the best part about the director’s approach is that he always keeps us guessing and is never predictable.
There are also some truly unsettling moments in What Happened to Dorothy Bell? which will linger in your mind and get under your skin. But rather than relying on jump scares and disturbing imagery, Danny Villanueva Jr. takes a much more subtle approach, tapping into one’s psychological fears, which is the best kind of horror.
What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is a hidden indie gem, and if you’re a fan of the found footage subgenre, you won’t want to let this one pass you by.
What Happened to Dorothy Bell? premiered at Fantastic Fest on September , 2024. Read our list of 15 movies to watch at Fantastic Fest 2024!
