Let's make something clear right away, Separation is not a good movie. It fails on almost all fronts, with the one exception being the impressive and terrifying character design. The director, William Brent Bell, uses all of the usual shock horror tropes, a loud bang here, a scary face there, and he never truly shows any interest in developing a memorable film. Bell is not the only one to blame here, as the writers and actors turn in dud performances as well. The story is so bland and boring that there is never any significant attachment to Separation's protagonists, and even when there is a glimmer of hope, the acting constantly throws off the pacing and intrigue. There definitely are some small moments of genuine terror in Separation, something that is a lot to ask for throughout its 107-runtime, but the scenes come and go, and no residual fear lingers over the audience.
Jeff (Rupert Friend), a struggling comic book artist, is going through a tough time. He cannot find work, and his only successful endeavor, the spectacularly creepy "Grisly Kin," has lost its steam. With a looming divorce over his head, his wife Maggie (Mamie Gummer), and father-in-law Rivers (Brian Cox), are plotting to take full custody of their daughter, Jenny (Violet McGraw). As Jeff's life spins out of control, and Jenny struggles with the realization that her family is being ripped apart, something unexpected happens that unleashes an evil that cannot be explained.
Although there is not much to like here, something needs to be said about the "Grisly Kin" characters, and their impact on the film. It seems like these malevolent figures should be the catalyst of Separation, something very apparent in the visually striking opening credit scene. These characters are terrifying, and they had potential to stake their claim in the pantheon of horror cinema for years to come. Unfortunately, they are grossly underutilized, and only a couple of the characters are even used to generate any sort of substantial fear or anxiety.
Instead, Bell decides to focus the majority of the film on Jeff and Jenny, something that could have been interesting if his lead actor had turned in a better performance. Friend (Hitman: Agent 47), spends most of his time sporting a deer-in-headlights look, derailing any sort of story or tension that the film tries to build. If it weren't for Cox (Troy), and McGraw's (Doctor Sleep) competent acting, Separation would have been even more of a disaster.
The mark of a good horror movie essentially comes down to one thing: is it scary? The answer here is a resounding no. Bell tries to build up tension for the majority of the film, hinting at some sort of grim payoff, and while things go off the wall in the final act, it is never truly scary or interesting. There are a few scenes that will make the audience want to turn their heads for a moment, but that can mostly be chalked up to the eerie character design.
As stated earlier, Separation misses on almost all fronts. From the poor direction to the cookie-cutter storytelling, this is a picture that is forgettable as soon as the credits roll. It is a shame that these creative characters will go the way of cinematic afterthought, but there just didn't seem to be a cohesive vision from the film's collective talent.