Honeymoon is very much set in the now. Unlike Game of Thrones, the film has no dragons or icy undead villains. It also doesn’t have a sprawling cast or a big budget. What it does have is Leslie’s gift for getting lost in her characters, and a unique story that’s all about ratcheting up a growing sense of dread.
The movie begins with the adorably hipster couple of Bea and Paul heading to her family’s remote cabin for a secluded honeymoon after their wedding. Despite the isolated setting, there’s nothing foreboding about the dynamic between the newlyweds. They’re both clearly enamored with each other in a way that feels honest thanks to the actors and to the film’s director, Leigh Janiak. It’s not until Paul wakes up in the night and finds Bea alone and naked in the woods that the weirdness begins.
From that point on, Honeymoon begins operating on another level, as Bea starts forgetting how to make coffee, how to hold a normal conversation with someone, and even details of her relationship with Paul. At the same time, she’s outwardly transforming in a way that’s both frightening and creepy for Paul and the audience.
