“Man. Something really bad must have happened to you.”

Story: James Hayman, a compassionate young medical resident, transfers to a small town hospital from a much larger one after he became too obsessed with the wellbeing of his patient. Now there’s an asthmatic girl in his care, and things look like they’re headed the same way. But is there more to this case?

Scares: Just the horror of reality.
Splat Factor: Basic hospital stuff, a horribly wrecked ankle, an autopsy.

Subgenre: Reality Is Horrifying Horror
Year Released: 2025 (wide/streaming) 2022 (Tribeca)
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original

Trick or Treat?: Rounding is the kind of dark psychological case study that isn’t easily slotted into a single genre. It’s horror, it’s drama, it’s modern gothic, and it’s a character study. It’s also a meandering path to one hell of a finale.

For a while, this film had me pulling a Cordelia Chase with James. We never really know his deal; only the climax of the film gives us any hint. Why is he so withdrawn and morose, and borderline masochistic? James has an obviously sprained ankle, and we see it get progressively worse as he ignores it. Runs on it, walks on it, doesn’t even tape it. Why isn’t he seeking help? We don’t know enough about him to understand. And why doesn’t a single medical professional he works with even comment on it? In reality, a group of medical residents? They’d be all over him, if only to get the experience.  After a while though, I just focused on Namir Smallwood’s brilliant performance.

The sound mixing is just bad, and adds to the inability to connect with the characters. Loud music, soft dialogue. I put on subtitles to make sure I didn’t miss anything. (Note: this may not be a problem in theaters; I caught this on Shudder.) The lighting ain’t great either. Sure, it lends a country gothic vibe, which I’m sure director Alex Thompson was going for. But there’s a difference between mood lighting and having to squint through more than half of a film. I’m chalking these gaffes up to a low budget. The strange hallucinatory visuals though? James hallucinates. Quite a lot. Blacks out. Misses days. Sees strange monsters that hark back to things he’s seen in hospital rooms. These moments are compelling, but ultimately inconsequential. That’s an issue with the script not developing James’ character well enough for these moments to make sense. All those moments could have been left on the cutting room floor; they lack any importance to the tale being told.

We finally do get answers in the last ten minutes, tying together James’ past and present, as well as the answer to his case. And it’s a payoff that’s devastating and raw. Yet, I’d have liked more emotional depth throughout the film, not simply crammed into those final moments. I’d be a liar if I didn’t say those scenes were outstanding. But they come after a whole lot of slogging through insubstantial plot points, supporting characters that feel like set dressing rather than important parts of the story, and a medical case that has lots of promise, but is never given the main stage. Rounding ties you to nothing but the main character, yet doesn’t give you enough to have you actually care about what happens. It’s an odd feeling.

I struggled to get through this one. Rounding is a slow burn with a flame so weak it’s hard to care about. The plot wanders in search of meaning, and never really finds it. We see James slowly unraveling, but we don’t really understand why. His character isn’t fleshed out enough to be understandable, or someone you’d care about. Damn if Smallwood isn’t absolutely breathtaking in the role though. His performance is the reason I stayed put. So yeah, should you see it? Well, that depends. If you’re fine with wading through a slow mystery for a payoff that truly fits the story? Then yes. Not up for slogging through a film rather than enjoying it? Give it a pass, and hope that Smallwood gets a better opportunity to showcase his impressive chops.

Score: 2.5 out of 5 pumpkins.