Observance

Play trailer

Observance

2015

1h 27m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

69%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

29%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A grief-stricken private investigator (Lindsay Farris) takes on an unusual assignment and finds himself at the center of a series of dark and unexplained happenings.

John DeFore

The Hollywood Reporter

Joseph Sims-Dennett's Observance bundles voyeurism, blind obedience and grief up in a package that is already plenty disturbing before the biological horrors slink in.

May 11, 2016

Full Review

Jake Wilson

Sydney Morning Herald

A clever, low-budget exercise from the young Australian-based director Joseph Sims-Dennett, Observance is a hybrid of two familiar brands of psychological thriller.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 7, 2016

Full Review

Luke Buckmaster

Guardian

A twitchy, icky, genuinely unsettling psychological thriller about a private investigator who takes on what appears to be a simple, well-paying job.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 4, 2016

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

I'm likely somewhere in the middle with an appreciation for what Sims-Bennett was aiming for but a sense of frustration that certain elements simply didn't come together.

Rated: 2.5/4.0

Sep 18, 2020

Full Review

Andrew F. Peirce

The Curb

Observance is simply a confusing film that wants to be so much more than it is.

Apr 4, 2020

Full Review

C.J. Prince

Way Too Indie

Putting its clichés and reliance on withholding information for the sake of mystery aside, there are some undeniably creepy moments peppered throughout.

Rated: 6/10

Jun 3, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Joe D

I don't need stories to have tidy resolution, so even make complete sense, many movies I love don't do or have one or either of those things. I watched this to the end with my fingers crossed, hoping it would offer some reward for the effort. I think a more extreme, mind bending series of last events may have saved it for me. I felt it was a failure of imagination. Ultimately it just felt like time wasted. The editing and sound design were very heavy handed, but these would be minor complaints if the film had offered more.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

Full Review

Audience Member

I need 90 minutes of my life back. Movie is a total waste of time.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

ronald h

This film sets up a plot and then fails to follow through on it. It just dissolves into a bunch of gory horror effects with no explanation. I mean none. Zero. I suppose some people think it's artsy in the style over substance vein. Not me. I don't mind ambiguity in films, but this one just didn't work for me.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Didnt understand it after watching it. But then read analysis of the movie which made a lot of sense. Its a good movie if you can follow along.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Típica película pretenciosa y aburrida... el tipo vigila una vieja, y ni entendí para qué. No la terminé de ver, al final la mata.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I got really pissed off after finishing the film, and that's rare. Is that a good thing, or is that what the director was trying to do? It's like a movie ending in the middle of the film. Plot and meaning are lost amidst the beautiful flash backs and stylish imagery. You would have to watch multiple viewings to grasp what this film was about, what a waste of time, with the anticlimactic ending.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Joseph Sims-Dennett

Director

Lindsay Farris

Parker

Stephanie King

Tenneal

Brendan Cowell

Employer

John Jarratt

Snitch

Benedict Hardie

Charlie

Dark Was the Night

55%

39%

Dark Was the Night

Watchlist

A Cure for Wellness

42%

42%

A Cure for Wellness

Watchlist

TRAILER

for A Cure for Wellness

Without Name

81%

47%

Without Name

Watchlist

Indiana

80%

%

Indiana

Watchlist

Rust Creek

85%

61%

Rust Creek

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Rust Creek

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

A grief-stricken private investigator (Lindsay Farris) takes on an unusual assignment and finds himself at the center of a series of dark and unexplained happenings.

Director: Joseph Sims-Dennett
Screenwriter: Josh Zammit
Production Co: Sterling Cinema
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Australian English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 11, 2016
Runtime: 1h 27m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now