Recluse [Tribeca Festival Review]

by Mike McGranaghan

Escape From Tribeca is a section of the Tribeca Festival devoted to horror and sci-fi-related fare. One of the films screening in this category during the 2026 edition was Recluse, the feature debut from director Henry Chaisson, who previously wrote the 2021 chiller Antlers. Based on the results, he’s got a promising future in the genre.

Joan (Sasha Frolova) works on movies as an audio engineer. She returns to the New England estate of her father (Xander Berkeley), an occult-inspired artist whose body was badly burned during an explosion, leaving him bedridden. He’s got a housekeeper, Lydia (Mother of Flies’ Toby Poser), and a nurse named Emily (Mia Vallet) caring for him. Being back in the mansion causes Joan to ponder the mysterious disappearance of her mother. Voices can be heard around the house, suggesting it may be haunted – possibly by Mom or possibly by someone else.

Nothing more should be revealed about Recluse so as not to infer where the story is headed. All you need to know is that the creepier things become around the place, the more Joan becomes determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. For a long time, it’s hard to guess where the film is going. Then comes a significant piece of information that changes the game on what we’ve previously seen and heard. Embedded within that is a theme pertaining to dysfunctional families.

This is absolutely a slow-burn kind of horror movie. Chaisson focuses heavily on establishing a gloomy atmosphere and an ambiance of dread. This is achieved through lighting and cinematography choices, along with leaving lots of room for viewers to soak up the often tense interactions between the characters. On many occasions, what’s happening below the surface is just as interesting as what’s happening above. You won’t find overt jump scares all over the place, but then again, the film doesn’t need them because it so effectively gives you the chills.

Frolova delivers a very good performance as Joan, infusing her with strength and tenacity. Even better, she shows how those qualities are driven by vulnerability. Joan has been tossed around by life, and now she’s determined to start tossing back. Poser is also exceptional, always slyly hinting at hidden motivations potentially driving Lydia. These two actresses, in particular, take Chaisson’s eerie screenplay and invest it with a sense of humanity that allows Recluse to burrow into your head and start messing things up.

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