‘Crybaby Bridge’ Review

Stars: Sydney Mikayla, Erik King, Florencia Lozano, Kevin Breznahan, Michael Laurence, Clifton Dunn, Anna Palmieri | Written by Emily Fouraker, Sarah T Schwab | Directed by Sarah T. Schwab

For the uninitiated, a ‘Crybaby Bridge’ is an American urban legend, referring to a haunted bridge inhabited by the restless spirit of a mother and her unquiet, dead infant. It’s this spooky slice of folklore which forms the basis for Sarah T. Schwab’s supernatural horror film of the same name.

Moving from the big city to the countryside after she falls pregnant, bullied teenager Samantha (Sydney Mikayla) is hoping for a fresh start. However, as she uncovers a sinister web of secrets and lies within her own family, she soon comes to realise that there’s more to her new life than meets the eye.

Add to that, the snooping around of creepy local John (surprise motherfucker! It’s Erik King from Dexter) and a wailing baby noise emanating from the nearby river. As Samantha’s investigation continues, it becomes clear that her troubles are far from water under the, uh, bridge.

This is a slow-burning work of folk horror, bolstered by strong performances from Mikayala and King. The ‘Crybaby Bridge’ myth is a solid foundation for the kind of story it’s trying to tell, and the few moments where the ghost story elements come to the fore are largely successful. On these occasions, Schwab (director of the tonally similar slice-of-life films Life After You and A Stage of Twilight) does manage to eke a feeling of dread and unease from the tale – even if it’s ultimately let down by the TV Movie-esque visuals and weaker supporting performances.

Crybaby Bridge possesses an inherently engaging mystery, but it ultimately leans closer to small-town drama than supernatural chiller – and not a very interesting one, at that. Mikayala does her best with what’s given, but neither Schwab nor co-writer Emily Fouraker can do much to enliven the conceit.

Far from things going bump under the bridge, the mood remains one of dour navel-gazing rather than the gothic horror tale or folksy nightmare it could have been.

** 2/5

Crybaby Bridge is on limited release in the US from Thursday, March 26th.