There’s something utterly terrifying about the intersection of horror and disbelief. It might be a haunted character no one believes, or a mother who refuses to believe her child. Bryan Bertino explores this theme once again in Vicious, his latest supernatural horror film starring Dakota Fanning. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of The Strangers, the film manages to unsettle and frighten, leaving its message open to interpretation.

Vicious follows Polly (Dakota Fanning), who unexpectedly receives a mysterious black box from an unknown woman she’s trying to help (Kathryn Hunter). The box comes with a warning and a chilling set of instructions: place inside it three things; something you need, something you hate, and something you love. Initially skeptical of the woman’s story, Polly’s disbelief quickly crumbles as strange, inexplicable events begin to unfold. Desperate to decide what to put in the box, Polly becomes trapped in a nightmarish world where reality blends with what’s not real. As time slips away, Polly must confront the darkness before something tragic happens to her or worse; her loved ones.

From the very first frame of Vicious, Bertino’s directorial style is recognizable, rooted in realism, minimalism, and a palpable sense of isolation, and vulnerability. Polly isolates herself to protect her family from the box’s evil, doing whatever it demands. In many ways, the film is reminiscent of Parker Finn’s Smile, blending reality and hallucination so effectively that we’re never certain what’s real. Or who is.

Dakota Fanning once again proves her skill as a performer. Known for War of the Worlds, Hide and Seek, and more recently The Equalizer 3, she delivers a deeply grounded and haunting performance as Polly, embodying her dread and confusion as she grapples with forces she can’t comprehend. Through her, we learn what Polly values, despises, and needs most—perhaps it may be a metaphor for our own sacrifices and desires in everyday life.

Although she appears briefly, Kathryn Hunter is unforgettable. The Front Room actress exudes an eerie presence that lingers long after her scenes end. Her quiet menace and unsettling delivery make her moments among the film’s most memorable.

Vicious is a capable, intriguing, and unnerving film. It’s a perfect position for the spooky season. Though its slow-burn pacing might test some viewers’ patience, those who stay with it will find it delivers in atmosphere and thematic weight.

Grade: B

Vicious is now streaming on Paramount+.