CLAWFOOT (2023)

Clawfoot (2023)
Directed by: Michael Day
Written by: April Wolfe
Starring: Francesca Eastwood, Milo Gibson, Nestor Carbonell, Oliver Cooper, Olivia Culpo

CLAWFOOT (2023)
Directed by Michael Day
Available on digital download

A housewife finds herself stuck with an unwanted visitor when a manipulative contractor arrives to fit her a new bathtub. The only thing is, she didn’t order the bathtub, and her husband, who supposedly ordered it without her knowledge, isn’t answering his phone…

Home invasions are at their most scariest when we seemingly invite the culprits in with open arms, and this is a little how CLAWFOOT starts out.

On the surface, housewife Janet seems a little uptight when the doorbell rings and contractor Leo is stood at the door, paper in hand, ready to remodel her bathroom with an expensive new clawfoot cast iron bath tub. Peeping at him through the glass of the front door, doing her best not to open the door to the stranger, it feels like an over reaction to what is essentially a tradesman trying to go about his daily work. However, after she relents and lets Leo into the home, we begin to think maybe she had the right idea to be suspicious of unexpected callers.

It doesn’t take long for Leo’s presence to be uncomfortable and you can see that Janet is starting to regret ever letting him into the house, especially as her nearest neighbour is a mile away. Home alone, living in such a grand, luxurious, secluded property, anything could happen and no-one would even know…

There’s definitely a Funny Games vibe going on but with flashes of humorous moments, as Janet fantasises about taking control of the situation, CLAWFOOT yo-yos between thriller and comedy. The introduction of secondary characters, Leo’s helper, lovable health-food fanatic Samuel, and Janet’s friend, criminal defence lawyer Tasha, further pushes the film into the black comedy territory, but as Leo pushes his luck with Janet, you begin to wonder what lengths Leo will go to and what drives him to manipulate Janet so.

Having avoided the trailer, which I highly recommend you do too because it gives most of the film’s story away, I was pleasantly surprised by how CLAWFOOT pans out. It likes to keep you on your toes in terms of where the film will lead and, when required, can ramp up the energy in different directions for the desired effect. The characters are brilliantly cast with Milo Gibson controlling the scenes as Leo, toying with Francesca Eastwood’s threatened housewife Janet; a sinister undercurrent lacing his seemingly good-willed but dominant gestures, such as helping to make the bolognese sauce. However, Janet is no shrinking violet and can see what is happening before her very eyes, but what will she do about it?  The comedy elements are played just right for what the filmmaker and writer seemingly tried to achieve, with moments involving Olivia Culpo’s Tasha truly some of the highlights of the movie.

CLAWFOOT is a breath of fresh air as it takes something dark and disturbing as a home invasion thriller and puts its own spin on it to make it something of its own. Just like Leo, the story plays with you, keeping you guessing before fully committing to its ultimate goal. Who knew home invasion flicks could be so entertaining?!

Rating: