Soap Opera Meets Horror In Delightfully Campy the Restoration at Grayson Manor (FANTASTIC)
Title: The Restoration at Grayson Manor
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: Glenn McQuaid
Writer: Clay McLeod Chapman, Glenn McQuaid
Runtime: 90 Minutes
Starring: Chris Colfer, Alice Krige, Daniel Adegboyega
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2025.
Disinherited by his overbearing mother Jacqueline (Alice Krige) for his insistence on not giving her an heir, playboy Boyd Grayson (Chris Colfer) finds himself back in her good graces after saving her from certain death when a comically large mirror falls over a balcony slicing off his hands in the process of his heroic deed. Touched that her typically bratty son risked his life for hers, Jacqueline spares no expense for his recovery.
She hires Dr. Jeffrey Tannock (Daniel Adegboyega), a renowned researcher and medical doctor who specializes in prosthetics, Claudia (Gabriela Garcia Vargas), a physical therapist who healed herself after a car accident took her husband’s life, and Lee (Declan Reynolds), a local nurse. Together, the crew work to attach a pair of highly specialized prosthetic hands to Boyd and connect the neural pathways to his brain. Everything is going right until the hands take on a mind of their own.
Delightfully campy and steeped in melodrama, The Restoration at Grayson Manor is an indie queer gem of the most enjoyable variety.
If it isn’t evident by the plot synopsis, The Restoration at Grayson Manor is not a serious movie, which makes it all the more fun. Steeped in the tradition of soap opera, this offbeat horror film uses the medium to showcase a fresh direction for the genre. Its sharp and specific sense of humor takes lead to let the angsty core of its mother-son story take shape in a memorable way. Jacqueline and Boyd’s contentious relationship steers the plot into the ridiculous, which is exactly why it works so well. Their on-off dynamic serves as the blueprint for how its characters respond to their absurd situation.
Over-the-top characters and intentional dynamics make it hard to guess what happens next. Oftentimes, a horror film will be criticized for its characters, specifically that they are unlikable and unsympathetic. This becomes the best asset of The Restoration at Grayson Manor as everyone is truly awful here. The fun lies in how they scheme against each other, and the killer robotic hands on the loose. The ever-shifting dynamics add to the unpredictability. Allegiances shoot up before being cut down by new circumstances while natural allies turn on each other. Because they all loathe each other and have their own reasons to push through the healing process, the stakes elevate ensuring that everyone is on the chopping block.
The disembodied hands become an iconic killer in their own right, creeping around the sprawling manor causing havoc in creative and hilarious ways. Limber, adaptable, and certifiably bloodthirsty in its tiny package, the hands of The Restoration at Grayson Manor ooze charm even when they’re murdering people. Mixing up the set pieces to ensure that its record of killing is varied and well-rounded, the creepy appendages work around the natural barriers to ensure its murder spree goes uninterrupted and entertaining. They don’t inspire much terror but the hands do become a fun and unique little killer by the time the campy indie finishes.
It may be a little too “out there” for its own good, as it does seem a bit lost in how to tie its final loose ends together. Most of the issues arise from its pacing and story progression. Once it reaches the middle of its second act, The Restoration at Grayson Manor stalls as it builds on the assorted alliances and plots against each other. Almost as if it is unsure how to setup the final confrontations and tie up the story, stagnation creeps in while The Restoration at Grayson Manor decides how to tie up the madness in the neatest way. Story issues aside, The Restoration at Grayson Manor rides on its personality more than anything, which isn’t a negative at all.
It’s not perfect but The Restoration at Grayson Manor is too fun not to love in the end. Unabashedly queer and committed to its soap opera take on horror, genre fans with an affinity for camp will love this indie Irish film. Some pacing issues, lack of solid scares, and a few bold swings that don’t quite work stop The Restoration at Grayson Manor from being truly great. If quirky indie horror films that prioritize the absurd over the horrific work for you, The Restoration at Grayson Manor is exactly the kind of film to watch out for.
Overall Score? 7/10
