What Happened to Dorothy Bell? [Fantastic Fest Coverage]

by Mike McGranaghan

What Happened to Dorothy Bell? does something I don’t recall ever seeing a found footage movie do before: it tells a deeply personal story. There are certainly moments designed to make viewers jump, as well as a couple of instances of the requisite blood and gore. The heart of the film, however, is the central character, who is looking to heal herself from a past trauma. This thriller had its world premiere at the 2024 edition of Fantastic Fest.

That character is Ozzie Gray (Asya Meadows). As a child, she was brutally, inexplicably attacked by her grandmother Dorothy (Arlene Arnone Bibbs). Now an adult, she decides to seek answers to what may have possessed Dorothy to do something so unfathomable. Part of the movie is footage of her online therapy sessions, the rest her own video camera footage as she investigates at the library where her grandmother used to work. The employees are skittish about her presence, so a maintenance man lets her in at night. A book said to have dark abilities may tell Ozzie what she wants to know.

It's important to understand that What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is not a chill-a-minute found footage picture like Paranormal Activity. The pace is intentionally slower for the first hour, as director Danny Villanueva, Jr. allows viewers to focus on Ozzie’s efforts to deal with trauma. That includes long sequences of the character video journaling her thoughts. As a result, the supernatural occurrences in the last 20 minutes carry a bit more weight. There’s more than the usual “life or death” consequences at stake here.

What the film accomplishes on a low budget is impressive. Clever visual effects create a few scenes with a ghastly punch. A bit involving a seemingly frozen Zoom session is cool, as well. Villanueva is also able to make the “library after dark” setting feel suitably mysterious. At the center is Meadows’ performance, which is sincere and committed.

To be fair, What Happened to Dorothy Bell? has some rough edges. Fright fans looking for non-stop suspense will be frustrated by the slow-burn tone. The ultimate explanation for Dorothy’s behavior could have been developed more fully, too. It’s an intriguing idea with room to be fleshed out, especially given the brief 80-minute running time. Regardless of where you land, the movie absolutely deserves credit for trying to go beyond the usual boo factor we get in the found footage subgenre. That sets it apart from the pack.

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