“I thought MY family was fucked up.”

Story: Three brothers did a thing awhile back. Their grief, guilt, and horror has haunted them ever since. So when prodigal son/brother Phillip comes back home? More than the third brother has come back to roost.

Scares: More gross than scary, though there’s a thick cloud of unease throughout.
Splat Factor:  absolutely sickening animal body horror (that turns into sickening human body horror) also, obviously, lots and LOTS of dead, brutalized animals. FYI, yada yada.

Subgenre: Family Trauma Body Horror
Year Released: 2024
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original

Trick or Treat?: An unremarkable title hides an effectively creepy chiller filled with familial regret, secets, and remarkably effective FX. Don’t sleep on this one; I haven’t heard much about it, but luckily stumbled upon it on Shudder. You should stumble too.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen demonic possession as a familial curse you can “catch”. Where Evil Lurks is similar, but instead of that film’s characters trying to run from a worldwide demonic pandemic, Disorder focuses in on the sickness within one family. And the way it centers in on the three brothers, focusing on how their world has shrunk to the confines of their own horror? Impressive as hell.

For a film that’s ‘ess than an hour and a half, it’s a quick and dirty story. Well, quick and gory, or to use 80s speak? Quick and grody. Things start up immediately, as the first scene focuses on the aftermath of what the brothers had done. Okay okay, so it’s not a spoiler, as their father is dead; they killed their dad. But because he was possessed…and the film tells this tale through tidbits of flashbacks that meld into a prologue that’s at once terrifying and heartbreaking.

The use of light and shadow is excellent, providing an eerie, suspenseful vibe even during quiet moments. A fun rock soundtrack is used sparingly, with hardcore riffs coming loud and fast to punctuate the fierceness of the story. And OMG the dialogue is immaculate. Writers Toby Osborne and Steven Boyle (who also directed the film) do an excellent job of portraying a relatable sibling bond, with all the depth and brokenness that would occur after a horrific event.

As brothers Jake, Graham, and Phillip, Dirk Hunger, Christian Willis, and Charles Cottier have that “when they’re all together you can see they’re related” vibe. Legendary character actor John Noble as patriarch George gracefully shifts between monster and father; he’s not onscreen for long, comparatively, but as always, he makes his moments count with a wonderfully layered performance.

As with Lurks, Longlegs, and other slow burn horror, Disorder rewards viewers with a chilling tale that’ll have you thinking about this family after the credits roll. This is a relatively slow burn that doles out tidbits of horror throughout, which should keep even the most easily distracted viewer engaged. Oh – there’s a post-credits tidbit that’s unnecessary story-wise, but fun for FX junkies; I didn’t think much of it beyond gratuitous sequel-bait, but hey. It’s a tiny quibble in an otherwise really cool story.

Score: 3.5 out of 5 pumpkins.