The Unraveling (2023) Review

The Unraveling (2023) Review

THE UNRAVELING follows a woman who, after suffering a traumatic brain injury from a car accident, becomes convinced that an impostor has replaced her husband. Haunted by a gruesome presence and mysterious phone calls from someone claiming to be the “real” husband, she is thrust into a nightmare where she must navigate a labyrinth of fear, deception, and her own fragile sanity.

Directed by Kd Amond, THE UNRAVELING is a follow-up to the acclaimed film FAYE, (which set a precedent as America’s first one-woman feature length horror film), and continues the creative collaboration of Amond and Sarah Zanotti as a filmmaking team. Zanotti is both the co-writer and lead actor in both films.

THE UNRAVELING has already garnered critical acclaim for its atmospheric direction and gripping performances. Ivotres Littles of Horror Movies and Beyond praised it as “a dark, twisted story of a love that comes with a price,” while Preston Fassel of Fangoria and Daily Grindhouse called it “moving, thoughtful, and poetic…and terrifying.”

At no point during my viewing of THE UNRAVELING did I consider it to be a horror film. I saw it as a film about grief and a traumatized woman Mary, played by the film’s lead actor and co-creator Sarah Zanotti (FAYE) and a well-made film at that. But in no way is it a horror film. Sure, it has moments that are horror-tinged, but the overall thrust and tone of the movie is one that leans heavily towards the drama and despair revolving around a very confused woman.

The film’s pacing is steadfast but slow, but not slow enough that it becomes a chore. The performances are fine, and it is to the credit of all involved that a one-note scenario – someone questioning herself and everyone else she happens across as to whether the man who says he’s husband Grayson (Sam Brooks) actually is her husband – manages to remain watchable throughout.