31 days of horror movies: Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl is an overlooked atmospheric dream

Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl  has probably slipped through your proverbial cracks, like it has most people’s. The sixth film by Argentinian director A.D. Calvo was also written by him and debuted back in 2016. The film follows Adele, a teenager who is carelessly tossed to her agoraphobic aunt Dori to live in and take care of her in her massive Victorian home while she stays locked behind her bedroom door. As Adele toils away in her meaningless existence, sending money back home to help support her pregnant mother, she meets Beth out on the town. A stunning girl her own age, Beth opens Adele’s eyes to her sexuality and she begins to want to spend more and more time with her. As Beth starts encouraging some bad habits, Adele’s life and sanity begin to unravel. She soon finds out that the baggage that comes with her aunt and the house may be way more than what she had bargained for.

Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl clocks in at a brisk 76 minutes but the atmospheric dread it is able to accomplish in such a short time is wildly impressive. This film is stunning, masterfully capturing the autumnal vibes of the northeast and pairing them with intimate shots highlighting the sultry and suspect vibes of the characters. The sound design may be the most impressive part of this movie, with every little click and creak having some sort of impact on the psyche. The house almost becomes a secondary character, with each room and hall giving some sort of new twist on the living environment. Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl  pulls you straight back into the 80s with the set design, the wardrobe and the atmosphere. It definitely evokes the same vibes as Ti West’s House of the Devil in the way of how it uses its atmosphere and the content therein to build you a sense on unease while bonding you slowly with the protagonist.

Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl  isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. This is a slow burn atmospheric haunt that will require some serious investment into the characters and some real patience to get the punch that its looking for at the end. If you’re looking for heart-racing excitement and scares, Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl is unlikely to quench your thirst. However, if you’re looking for a film that transports you to another  bygone era and slowly submerges you into a deep and twisted family mystery, blending together a coming-of-age sexual awakening and gothic horror elements, then Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl should absolutely make your list this wicked season. Currently, you can check it out on Shudder, which is chock-full of other spooky delights for this Halloween.