An absolutely disgusting film . . .
Traumatised Kids Left alone with a Traumatised adult, none of which have received anywhere near the level of care, attention or or even gravity of their Fresh (the children of a mother who shot herself shortly before) Trauma, and a recovering 'child' of a very sinister cult now a young adult and a victim of the true villain of the piece, the father.
Who neither cares for his lost ex wife, or his children who have had no time at all to deal with her suicide, or the news of him marrying this vulnerable adult.
He actually attempts to make it all about him, making him happy and trying to get along for -him-
His wife shot herself over this.
The kids knew this.
and yet, they need to cop on and get along with her, with no other help, aid, therapy, or even gentle encouragement.
Just, do it for me because it would make me happy.
Mom?
What Mom?
and then there's grace, his partner, who is not a 'new love' but rather the reason his wife shot herself, the reason his children have no mother -and- is, as his son (with a grieving youthful, but still fairly insulting way) refers to her, 'a psychopath', a young woman attempting to deal with a life outside of a heavily controlled, indoctrinated religious cult.
And he leaves all of them alone, in a isolated lodge, for bonding time over Christmas.
The only message in this movie is Dangerous neglect, Predatory powerplay and a gross misunderstanding of how a human mind, heart and soul works on soooo many levels . . .
And anyone painting Grace as the villain has no concept of what a true psychopath is *points at the father*
This movie actually shook me, but not as much as the reviews i read after.