Fans of found footage horror films had the opportunity to attend the world premiere of What Happened to Dorothy Bell? at this year’s Fantastic Fest. This film is the sophomore feature for writer and director Danny Villanueva Jr. (I Dream of a Psychopomp). The film centers on Ozzie, a young woman who is struggling to come to terms with a traumatic event from her childhood involving her own grandmother. As she documents her therapy and research, Ozzie discovers the sinister truth behind her grandmother’s attack.

From the moment What Happened to Dorothy Bell? begins, the supernatural, foreboding tone is set. The film begins with one of the best found footage cold openings. It immediately injects terror into the audience’s veins, while also leaving contextual clues to help make sense of what’s on screen, as well as what’s to come. After that, the film jumps ahead many years. The audience learns that Ozzie has a large scar on her face that she was told came from a car accident. After she learned the truth, that the scar was from her own grandmother, Ozzie begins to investigate the last days of her grandmother’s life to figure out why a sweet, loving grandmother and librarian would commit such a heinous crime.

Ozzie decides to document everything on video to help her process things. This includes recording her therapy sessions, recording herself detailing information she discovered, and even recording herself trying to communicate with her grandmother’s ghost in the library she used to work in. As the plot unfolds, there are plenty of terrifying moments and a fascinating lore that is built as more of the truth is uncovered. There certainly are some common found footage tropes throughout, and the film likely should have ended about 10 minutes earlier than it did. Yet What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is a compelling story about the confusing and heartbreaking trauma that comes from experiencing violence at the hands of someone you love.

A majority of What Happened to Dorothy Bell? focuses solely on Ozzie, so casting that character could make or break the film. Asya Meadows (Hyde Park) takes on the role of Ozzie, and she does a fantastic job. It’s so fascinating to watch this character, who only has fond memories of her late grandmother, learning all these things that were kept hidden from her. There’s a sadness and a determination that Meadows bring to her performance, especially as Ozzie refuses to believe the grandmother she loved would ever attack her for no reason. Horror fans will be delighted when Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child) appears on screen as Dr. Connelly, Ozzie’s therapist. Wilcox is someone who exudes a calm, nurturing, caring persona, which makes her an excellent choice to play a therapist. Other standout performances come from Steven Alonte (I Dream of a Psychopomp), Sargon Odicho (Year One), and of course Arlene Arnone Bibbs (Spiderweb) as the titular Dorothy Bell.

With indie found footage horror films, the visuals play an important role, no matter how low budget they might be. What Happened to Dorothy Bell? does a few things quite well. What audiences will likely first notice is how well the cold opening was done. It not only has frightening imagery, but it also truly looks like it was filmed about 20 years ago. After that, most of the imagery relies on subtle scares and well crafted props that add to the lore. Audiences who don’t enjoy the shaky-cam style of many found footage films will be happy to know that this is used sparingly in the film. That being said, there are one or two shots that don’t come from Ozzie’s cameras, and it’s never explained how those shots were done (perhaps a high-quality security camera). Ultimately, these shots take the audience out of the realism that found footage films typically provide.

What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is a frightening journey into trauma and the inner demons, both real and metaphorical, that tear us apart. Villanueva has crafted an intimate, tense feature film. While some elements of the plot and visual style don’t work that well, the overall story of trying to find a reason behind the horrors of childhood is something many will immediately connect with. Meadows delivers a strong performance that is the heart of the film, and Wilcox brings that horror-royalty energy. If you’re looking for a film with an interesting story, great performances, and subtle scares that build to bigger frights, then What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is the film for you.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10