Separation: Exclusive Clip Pairs a Creepy Kid With a Terrifying Monster

Creepy kids and scary monsters go together like love and marriage, or blood and guts. They’re a classic pair that almost seem made for each other, and director William Brent Bell’s (Wer, The Boy) upcoming feature Separation looks like it’s going to take full advantage of that chemistry. Here’s what the film is about according to its distributor, Open Road Films:

“8-year-old Jenny (Violet McGraw) is constantly caught in the middle of the feuding between her lawyer mother Maggie (Mamie Gummer) and artist father Jeff (Rupert Friend). She leads a lonely but imaginative life, surrounded by puppets called ‘Grisly Kin’, which are based on the works of her father. When Maggie is tragically killed in a hit-and-run, Jeff and Jenny try to piece together a new life. But when Maggie’s father (Brian Cox) sues for custody, and babysitter Samantha (Madeline Brewer) tries to be the new woman of the house, life in their Brooklyn townhome takes a dark turn. The puppets and frightening characters come to life, and Jenny is the only person who can see them. When the motives of the ghoulish creatures become clear, the lives of everyone are put very much in jeopardy.”

In our exclusive clip from Separation, we get a sneak peek of just how Willian Brent Bell plans to scare us. It pairs up the movie’s creepy kid with a terrifying monster, and it’s pretty effective. After starting out innocently enough, the scene slowly builds up the tension and creates a horrific atmosphere that unnerves viewers just as much as it does the characters in the film.

Then, when it reaches its climax, it wisely holds back and stays subtle. A lot of movies would’ve had something jump out at you at the end of a clip like this, but not this one. It takes a more subdued approach, and that gives me hope for the film. Way too many mainstream horror movies today are just cheap jump scare fests, so it’s encouraging to see that at least in this scene, Separation isn’t.

We don’t know how the rest of the movie will be, but if this clip is any indication, it looks like it’ll give us the subtle but effective horror that’s often lacking in theatrical genre fare. Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long to find out. You’ll be able to see Separation in theaters on April 30, and until then, you can check out our exclusive clip below.