Damian Mc Carthy’s feature debut, the unnerving cat and mouse thriller Caveat, was released exclusively on Shudder this month, the premium streaming service for horror, thrillers, and the supernatural. Filmed in Cork, Ireland, Caveat is Mc Carthy’s feature debut following a string of successful short horror films.
Lone drifter Isaac (Jonathan French, A Soldier’s Voice) accepts a job to look after his landlord’s niece, Olga (Leila Sykes, Missing Something), for a few days in an isolated house on a remote island. It seems like easy money, but there’s a catch: he must wear a leather harness and chain that restricts his movements to certain rooms.
Once Olga’s uncle, Barrett (Ben Caplan, Band of Brothers) leaves the two of them alone, a game of cat and mouse ensues as Olga displays increasingly erratic behaviour as a trapped Isaac makes a series of horrific discoveries in the house.
With slow building tension, Caveat balances creepy interiors with the beauty of Cork’s countryside to stunning visual effect. Playing out like a thoughtful, long-lost 80s chiller, Caveat leads the audience on a path of twist and turns to an unforgettable resolution.
Caveat was produced by Justin Hyne of HyneSight Films, and cinematography by Kieran Fitzgerald. The film’s music was composed by Richard G. Mitchell. Mc Carthy served as the film’s editor.
