You Should Have Left

Set in the picturesque Austrian countryside, "You Should Have Left" is a psychological horror film that follows a strained couple, Dr. Theo Conroy (Kevin Bacon) and his wife, Susanna (Amanda Seyfried), as they embark on a solitary vacation with their six-year-old daughter, Ellie. The film, directed by David Koepp, takes a gripping and unsettling approach to the classic 'horror- vacua' trope, where the tranquility of the beautiful surroundings serves only to enhance the mounting tension between the couple. Initially, the atmosphere is relaxed and even idyllic, with the family settling into their luxurious chalet-perched on the craggy banks of the serene Lake Walchensee. Theo, an aging writer struggling to make ends meet, is driven by the desire to reignite his passion and renew his relationship with Susanna. The vacation is seen as a prime opportunity for the family to reconnect and recapture the lost spark of their affection for one another. However, upon arrival, the peaceful facade is quickly shattered. Theo begins experiencing terrifying hallucinations of Ellie being at the edge of the pool, which seems to be perpetually beckoning her towards the watery depths below. These visions become increasingly realistic, to the point where even the rational and responsible Susanna begins to doubt what's real and what's just Theo's overreaching paranoia. At first, Theo tries to push his visions to the back of his mind, but it becomes clear that something more sinister is afoot. Their usually docile and composed daughter starts embodying a malevolent presence, making unnerving comments about how they should leave the chalet, echoing her father's earlier paranoid thoughts. It is here that a malevolent, older version of Theo, portrayed by Falk Hentschel, becomes a recurring presence. He starts to exhibit a sinister behavior, with a menacing aura forming a significant part of his presence. In a sequence of intense flashbacks, Theo's character becomes manifest through echoes of his former self, hinting that the family's past demons are slowly unraveling the threads of his shattered psyche. Intertwined with this unsettling portrayal is the unfolding, yet tragically familiar relationship between Theo and Susanna. Their dynamic veers wildly between moments of intimacy, suspicion, and distrust, illuminating the dark undercurrents driving their failed marriage. Koepp navigates these multiple layers deftly, maintaining tension by navigating between idyllic Austria landscapes, sharp, jarring cuts, and dark spaces where secrets are slowly unraveled. Subsequently, Theo's fragile grasp on reality unravels gradually as the reality of his relationship's disintegration starts to unfold. From the increasingly disfigured expressions on his face, and moments of isolated isolation to his family's now distant glances at him, it is made amply clear that his true nightmare is not the supernatural menace but the crumbling foundations of his relationship. At a certain point in the film, Theo is forced to confront the possibility that his loved ones have abandoned him emotionally, leaving him at the mercy of a malevolent entity forged by desperation, lost sanity, and ultimately, complete despair. Thus, Theo finds himself forced to defend his daughter and, perhaps, his increasingly compromised self from the enigmatic dark presence tormenting their secluded sanctuary. "You Should Have Left" seamlessly merges elements of psychological horror with elements of relationship drama. In the midst of crumbling domesticity, and amidst the growing desperation for love lost, Theo slowly begins to grasp the tattered remnants of a relationship hung in the balance by sheer emotional force of will. Ultimately, Theo's delusions intensify so much so that one is unsure what is and isn't happening in the 'real world.' Nonetheless, trapped between eerie intermingling worlds, broken homes, domestic tension, and the sheer weight of broken love, "You Should Have Left" creates an unsettling, if not absolutely gripping experience combining psychological thrills and shocks with family drama against an idyllic-yet-ominous backdrop.