This year at the Tribeca Film Festival, writer-producer Henry Chaisson (Drink, Servant) made his directorial debut with Reclusea sonic terror that mixes dark, ghostly horror with thrilling mystery.
A few months after her father is injured in an accident, Joan (Sasha Frolova), a sound engineer working in the film industry, returns home to New England. Judging by her hesitation, it’s clearly a trip she doesn’t want to take, hinting at something traumatic that happened in her childhood and an estranged relationship with her father, Lawrence Wyatt (Xander Berkeley). Early in his career, the famous and reclusive artist developed a reputation as strange and was rumored to have dabbled in the occult.
The family endured multiple tragedies which left Joan and her father both very lonely. Many believe that there is a curse on the Wyatt family, but throughout the film it is unclear whether the house is haunted, whether the family is haunted, or both. Joan takes us on an aural journey through the decaying mansion and sprawling gardens as she confronts painful memories and attempts to solve a long-standing family mystery. She follows faint voices and indistinct mumblings that draw her deeper and deeper into her old home.
Like many films these days, the cinematography is so dark that it’s almost impossible to see anything during certain scenes. And in Reclusethere are many. Although it’s slightly frustrating at first, it builds suspense, and the longer we can’t see, the more anxious we become. Straining your eyes in the dark, especially when trying to find where a random sound is coming from, is always unsettling. Like Joan, we are forced to use our imagination in these moments until we are afraid.
The darkness also has a strange effect on the artwork. The mansion is filled with Lawrence’s white-on-black paintings, and whether they’re abstract (like a bunch of handprints) or portraits, the black pieces make the white figures look like disembodied ghostly faces. He also created surreal sculptures and numerous face masks ranging from semi-childish to pure nightmare fuel. Lawrence wears a stark white mask because he was badly burned in the fire, and it’s disturbing in both the light and the dark. There are also a few dozen Hereditary-handmade dolls hidden around, but the artist behind these witch stick figures is another mystery.
Although Joan is never shown watching Super 8 home movies, this is how some flashbacks appear. The mix of vintage visuals and distorted sounds reminds me a lot of Sinisterwhich used the nostalgia of old film reels to create a constant feeling of unease. Given Joan’s profession, the creepy sound design practically constitutes its own character. The house has the usual horror movie noises, like creaking floors and wind-blown doors, but Chaisson and Matthew Rollins (The Phoenician project) created indescribable sounds that were always annoying. Recluse is an effective gothic horror thriller that masters atmosphere and sound perfectly. Even though the cinematography can be too dark at times, the film maintains a suitably ominous tone.
Music from the film: 4/5
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*Recluse created on June 4 at Tribeca Film Festival 2026
