Demons are one of the most popular themes in horror films. The premise delivers and when done well, it will deliver serious creeps and honest scares. To change things up a bit in the genre and moving away from the Catholic point of view on demons, The Offering is taking this genre through a Jewish, more specifically a Hasidic lens.
The Offering is directed by Oliver Park from a screenplay is written by Hank Hoffman; based on a story by Hoffman and Jonathan Yunger. From the start of the film, we see dark forces are amidst. We notice an elderly man performing a ritual to capture a demon whose insatiable demands end up killing him. This is no spoiler since just before this firs scene, we are given warning about a demon widely known in Jewish folklore as “the taker of children.”
The next day, Arthur (Nick Blood), the son of a Hasidic funeral director, Saul (Allan Corduner), returns home with his pregnant wife, Claire (Emily Wiseman) hoping to reconcile with his father. Upon their arrival, there is a sense of foreboding that things are not all what they seem.
Arthur is hiding some financial issues from Claire and his dad. Saul’s best friend and business partner, Heimish (Paul Kaye), advises Saul be careful of his son’s motives for wanting to move back to Brooklyn. Meanwhile, Saul’s funeral home/morgue has been busy serving their close-knit Hasidic community who has been dealing with number of tragic deaths lately. Saul enlists Arthur to assist with a mitzvah for a recently deceased elderly man – the same one from the opening scene. Arthur has some apprehensions about being involved in religious rituals and being back at the home, but he accepts and assists his father. While Arthur is alone preparing the body, he inadvertendly set in motion the release of the same demon the elderly man was trying to contain.
This is where things get creepy. The demon starts to wreak havoc in the house and takes a special interest in spooking Claire; taunting her with visions and making her anxious about her safety and that of her unborn baby. Yet no one is safe from this demon; especially when Art takes it upon himself to research what really happened to the elderly man whose dead body unleashed this evil. Armed with new found knowledge, Art asks Heimish for help, who upon learning the truth behind this demon enlists the help of Chayim, a Hasidic history scholar. The three men put their brains together to figure out a ritual that may just save their lives, Claire’s lives and most importantly, the baby’s life.
The Offering benefits from Park’s direction in his understanding of horror themes and knowing how to deliver some eerie moments. The story is not entirely original, however, seeing a demonic presence from a different religion and cultural understanding makes for an interesting viewing. All of the lead actors deliver good performances with my personal shoutout to Paul Kaye’s Heimish, as the one character who doubts Arthur’s motives but comes to his aid in the end.
Other aspects of the film that stand out are its production design and cinematography. Setting the film in a home that also serves as funeral parlour/morgue for this community is creative and engaging. Directof of photography Lorenzo Senatore and team provide some great visuals with their keen use of scene compositions, the lighting, the camera angle and movements along with the use of special effects. Rounding it all up to make The Offering another entertaining genre film to add to your list.
