All things seen and unseen

The evocative debut from McDaniel opens with 24-year-old queer university student Alex Nguyen getting out of the hospital after a two-month stint following a nasty breakup and suicide attempt. Upon her release, Alex discovers that, since she neglected to notify her school about the hospital stay, she's lost her housing and ability to apply for student loans. On the verge of losing all hope, Alex gets offered a summer job house-sitting for the parents of her childhood friend, Ella. Almost as soon as she arrives at the extravagant vacation home, which sits on an island an hour's boat ride from the British Columbian mainland, things take a turn for the gothic: Alex starts receiving strange phone calls from a robotic voice, warning her to stay inside. She embarks on a clumsy romance with a local but starts to distrust their budding bond. As she's left alone to ruminate on the life she's led and try to imagine what her future holds, paranoia begins to seep in. Will she survive her stay on this enigmatic and potentially deadly isle? McDaniel ably captures Alex's creeping dread, whipping the thin narrative into something like a fever dream. While the heavily ambiguous action may frustrate some mystery fans, the atmosphere is undeniably immersive. McDaniel makes a promising first impression. (Apr.)