Watch Off Season

Off Season, a psychological horror-thriller from 2001 starring Sherilyn Fenn, Hume Cronyn, and Bruce Davison, tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between a young woman named Callie (Fenn) and her abusive boyfriend David (Davison), set against the eerie backdrop of a remote, windswept island off the coast of Maine. As the film begins, Callie has fled to the island after David attacked her, seeking refuge in the seaside hotel run by an elderly couple, Amy (Cronyn) and her husband, former lobsterman Jack (played by Barry Corbin in one of his final roles before his death in 2020). Although initially wary of the "off season" guest, Amy takes Callie under her wing and shows her the ropes of island life: how to properly eat a lobster, how to weather a nor'easter, and how to navigate the capricious personalities of the island's year-round inhabitants.

As Callie begins to heal from her wounds and forge a new life for herself on the island, she faces new challenges, including the return of David, who comes to the island seeking to win her back with promises of change and redemption. Despite her initial resistance, Callie finds herself drawn to David's charms and his manipulative behavior, leading to a volatile and dangerous confrontation that threatens to unravel the peace and quiet of the island community.

Director Bruce Davison imbues Off Season with a palpable sense of menace and dread, crafting an unsettling atmosphere of isolation and unease that permeates every frame. The rugged, windswept coastline of Maine serves as the perfect backdrop for the film's haunting visuals, capturing the bleak beauty of a place that is simultaneously beautiful and desolate.

While the film's plot is relatively straightforward, Davison uses a number of clever techniques to keep the audience guessing and on the edge of their seats. He toys with the audience's expectations, subverting traditional horror tropes and playing with audience sympathies to craft a story that is as emotionally resonant as it is frightening.

The performances in Off Season are uniformly strong, with Fenn delivering a nuanced portrayal of a woman struggling to escape a toxic relationship and find a sense of self-worth. Cronyn, in one of her final roles before her death in 2008, brings an understated warmth and humanity to her portrayal of Amy, the island matriarch who takes Callie under her wing. And Davison is positively chilling as David, imbuing the character with a dangerous charisma that belies his violent tendencies.

Ultimately, Off Season is a smart and sophisticated horror film that rewards audience investment with complex characters, skillful plotting, and a haunting sense of atmosphere. While it may not be a traditional slasher flick, it is a chilling and effective psychological thriller that will leave audiences captivated until the very end.

Off Season is a 2001 kids & family movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6.