Review: IFCMidnight’s ‘WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING’ lets your imagination do a lot of the terrorizing.

WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING

After Melissa and her family seek shelter from a storm, they become trapped. With no sign of rescue, hours turn to days and Melissa comes to realize that she and her girlfriend Amy might have something to do with the horrors that threaten to tear her family – and the entire world, apart.


This is perhaps, one of the most batshit premises for a horror film I’ve seen in a very long time. That is one hell of a compliment. Innuendo sneaks in from the beginning, and while you can grasp Melissa’s guilt, never in a million years will you expect We Need To Do Something to unfold in the manner it does. That is the absolute genius of this script. Except for a handful of flashbacks, the entire film takes place inside the family bathroom. Terror arrives in many forms throughout this film. One of the most shocking is the progressive violence from Pat Healy‘s character, Robert. If you want to see a character study of epic proportions, Healy has got you covered. He begins as a disgruntled husband and selfish father, eventually succumbing to forces both inside and out. It’s a maniacal performance.
Sierra McCormick, who I believe was the best part of American Horror Stories, nails it again. Her anxiety is palpable, and she is unafraid to leave it all onscreen. If she isn’t the next genre darling, I’ll be shocked. The script does a great job of highlighting the awkwardness, the lack of privacy, and the growing tension under duress. Who wants to use the toilet in front of your family? Screenwriter Max Booth III provides us with a sharp left turn a third of the way in. The gasp and look of horror on my face must have been hideous. No matter how I assumed this story would play out, that one moment is so mind-blowing it will send chills down your spine. The film’s most impactful aspect is the sound. Man does this cast sell it. Your own imagination is your worst enemy while watching. The ambiguity lets every viewer come away with a different and twisted result. Director Sean King O’Grady has an undeniable hit with We Need To Do Something. Here’s hoping he and Booth team up again and again.

IN THEATERS, DIGITAL and VOD on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD

About Liz Whittemore

Liz grew up in northern Connecticut and was memorizing movie dialogue from Shirley Temple to A Nightmare on Elm Street at a very early age. She will watch just about any film all the way through (no matter how bad) just to prove a point. A loyal New Englander, a lover of Hollywood, and true inhabitant of The Big Apple.

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