the new daughter

Fifteen years ago, Kevin Costner was on top of the world. Now he’s standing on top of an Indian burial mound shooting mud-covered zombies in a movie that was released in only two theaters. In Costner’s defense, The New Daughter is pretty good for what it is: a slow-burn, spooky campfire story that only loses its bearings during the ridiculously sloppy conclusion. Shepherded by Spanish director Luis Berdejo, whose clever zombie movie REC was remade as Quarantine, and starring Ivana Baquero, the little girl from Pan’s Labyrinth, the film is brilliantly creepy for most of its running time.

Costner moves his broken family to a quaint little house in the swamp, where his almost-teenage daughter begins acting strangely after discovering a big pile of dirt in the backyard. As with most haunted house movies, the history of the property is soon uncovered and Costner questions whether his little girl is possessed by demons or just going through some hellish hormonal changes. If Berdejo had had the courage to explore that particular line of thinking, The New Daughter might have really turned into something special. But he chooses the less complicated explanation and unleashes a swarm of razor-toothed monsters. While even that approach has its merits (the ancient Indian gods have an appealingly slimy look) it’s disappointing to see such good foreplay gone to waste.

Anchor Bay’s Blu-ray treatment is welcome on such a small, barely-released film. Perhaps Costner’s face on the box still secures a sizable amount of interest. Extras include a commentary, deleted scenes, Making Of and trailer.