Frightfest London 2025: ‘Self-Help’ Review
Stars: Landry Bender, Madison Lintz, Amy Hargreaves, Jake Weber, Erik Bloomquist, Carol Cadby, Blaque Fowler | Written by Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist | Directed by Erik Bloomquist
Across its decades-long history, FrightFest has been a welcoming place for independent filmmakers to repeatedly return with their latest genre entries. As this year’s festival includes the return of the Adams Family and Alice Maio Mackay, joining them is Erik Bloomquist (2022’s She Came from the Woods, 2024’s Founder’s Day) with his latest work of low-budget horror, Self-Help.
The story begins at a Chuck E. Cheese-style restaurant, where a birthday party is being held for a young girl named Olivia. A misunderstanding involving payment evokes aggression from Olivia’s father, something which her mother finds tiresome. The situation leads the mother to cheat with a restaurant employee, an act that is witnessed by young Olivia and results in violence.
Cut to the present day, where Olivia (Landry Bender) is a timid person who struggles with being assertive. Leaving behind her uncaring boyfriend, she takes a trip with her best friend, Sophie (Madison Lintz), to attend a weekend retreat with her mother, Rebecca (Amy Hargreaves). Arriving at the remote location, Olivia discovers that the underground community is being run by the mysterious Curtis Clark (Jake Weber), who is in a relationship with Rebecca. But are these unusual methods of self-actualisation more deadly than they seem?
What Bloomquist appears to have crafted with co-writer Carson Bloomquist is a tale that inverts therapeutic ideals, utilising the jargon and ideas of self-improvement for something more gruesome. It is a curious idea to have the wrong lessons imparted in favour of impulsive and hurtful actions, yet the execution leaves much to be desired, as it offers little to say other than “assert yourself.”
Take the central character, Olivia. Traumatised following her childhood actions, she has been left paralysed by fear and unable to make decisions for herself. Over the weekend, her journey to rediscover her voice unfolds with little surprise or excitement, with the inclusion of a bitter ex-member particularly feeling like a tiresome plot device.
What is more interesting is the strained relationship Olivia shares with her mother. While Rebecca hopes that the pair can work on this, such hopes have long faded for her daughter, courtesy of their difficult past. This examination of a toxic paternal relationship refuses to gloss over what happened between them, how Olivia lacked support when she most needed it, and moves towards an effective conclusion.
Central to this event is Curtis, a secretive man with no social media presence outside of his masked persona. While he repeatedly claims that this is not a cult, that does not stop it from feeling like one, leaving Olivia to wonder what his true aims are. Despite Jake Weber delivering an interesting performance, it is not enough to carry the film towards its tepid ending. While Self-Help offers interesting moments, these are not enough to recommend this 85-minute slog.
** 2/5
Self-Help screened as part of this year’s London Frightfest.
