-Written by Kyle Bain.
Raya (Raya Miles) wakes up in the middle of the woods, with no memory of how or when she got there. The next day the same thing happens. Our Happy Place follows Raya on a journey of discovery–but what she will discover may be haunting.
2024 very much felt like the year of horror films, the year in which the horror genre captivated me far more than it ever had in the past. I’m not entirely sure whether that was just me, but it seems that the general public felt something similar. What I found incredibly interesting about the influx of horror films that made it in the mainstream was the fact that nearly every one of them was incredibly unique, separate, in many ways, from the others that existed. Originality is key, and I’ve said this so often in recent years–but Our Happy Place is a film that reinvigorated that belief inside of me, as it, too, exists in a space ultimately unique.
Similar to many of the recent horror releases, Our Happy Place leans heavily into the psychological rather than focusing entirely on the tried and true (but overused) jump scares. Writer-Director Paul Bickel looked to entice a genuine visceral response in each of his viewers, rather than scaring them and moving on. The question of “what if?” is explored on a level existing beneath the surface, expressing to the audience the knowledge of the genre, but also the intellect of Bickel and his team. The intellectual nature of what Bickel creates is the highlight of the film–as it plays with the emotions of its audience, and begs them to play along.
I appreciate a good time-loop film, and while that’s not exactly what Our Happy Place is, it shares similar characteristics to the sub-genre. The idea of repetition and being able to predict what might happen next, only to find minor differences and idiosyncrasies present in each new iteration of the event is quite intriguing. I don’t know that I’ve ever found myself bored of these films, struggling to remain focused throughout–but I did find myself drifting from Our Happy Place from time to time, and I attest this issue to the pacing of the film. Viewers are sort of lost from time to time as the film develops, and that is (I believe) intentional–but with great breaks in the development of the film, I found myself yearning for something more, for an “ah ha” moment of sorts–but it takes far too long, again and again, for these things to come. With those huge breaks I, again, felt myself drifting from the story–finding myself almost frustrated with the fact that I wasn’t getting answers.
Our Happy Place has all of the components of a well-made mystery, time-loop thriller–but the pacing of the film fractures the narrative and keeps it from ever feeling whole.
Now that the one real negative of Our Happy Place is out of the way, it’s time to get back to what works. With Raya waking up in the forest each morning, it’s clear that nature plays a pivotal role in setting the scene and developing mood throughout–but Bickel makes an interesting decision in regard to the potential vibrancy of the landscape–scaling it down and making it appear just as somber and distraught as Raya herself. Why tone down the colors, creating a more drab setting? Well, as I’ve mentioned, I feel that the landscape was a wonderful opportunity to develop tone, to create something that enticed and enveloped viewers throughout the course of Our Happy Place. It ultimately does just that. Bickel extends this decision beyond just the setting, however, and allows Raya and her cohorts to remain just as plain as what surrounds them. With this, we are instantly introduced to a sense of loss and discomfort that would carry us through the rest of the film.
Our Happy Place allows us to ponder the question “what if?,” but I’m not entirely sure that it answers the question by its conclusion. There are certainly supernatural elements present in this film, but how much of a role they play still remains a mystery by the time the credits finish rolling. Open ended is fine, but simply leaving viewers hanging just doesn’t do it for me. Our Happy Place’s conclusion will likely work for a great deal of viewers, even if I did find it a tad off-putting. Objectively, I suppose the film’s conclusion is fine–but I would have preferred something a little more definitive in this situation.
In a lot of ways Our Happy Place works, but in some others I feel that Bickel fumbles and hinders his film. While I did struggle from time to time to remain focused, I often found myself coming back to it and becoming reinvigorated within Raya’s story. Within this viscerally-developed film, I feel that viewers will be greatly impacted by the narrative, and that the drab and steadily-somber tones will likely play a major role in allowing this to happen.
Written & Directed by Paul Bickel.
Starring Raya Miles, Paul Bickel, Tracie Thoms, Eugene Byrd, Allysun Faso, etc.
6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
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