An Unquiet Grave is a 2020 independent, low budget horror film with a rather basic but engaging premise. A year after the unfortunate death of his wife, Jamie (Jacob A. Ware) enlists the help of her living twin sister Ava (Christine Nyland) to bring her back from wherever she is. They perform a ritual he found in a book that claims can revive his deceased wife; he just needs Ava’s help. The ritual is performed and seemingly works though it does so by replacing Ava’s soul/mind with the deceased sister’s. Along with this revelation, there also seems to be something else brought back along. Jamie and ‘Ava’ must act quickly if there is any chance of truly surviving the ordeal and the secrets that were kept.

I will not say that An Unquiet Grave is a great film; honestly, most would argue it is barely a film. It is obviously low budget and every single sequence on screen shows it. The entire film is essentially two people talking in about three different locations, all of which seem to be in the same ten mile radius. However, for what this small crew had to work with, the results are actually kind of impressive. The actors’ performances were more than adequate and no worse than anything I have seen on the CW, Hallmark Channel, or the lower tiers of FreeVee or Tubi. The story and plot were extremely simple which works in the film’s favor as there is no need for complicated props or locations to attempt. The editing, while not exemplary, works for the film being presented. All in all, the film would not be out of place being shown on basic cable which is honestly far better than a lot films with far bigger budgets.

If anything, this film would be a good study for anyone interested in making movies. It works within its apparent limitations, tells a full story, makes the best of its cast which implies there was some sense of direction and guidance, and does not try to be more than what it can be. So, even though I cannot honestly recommend this film as a great movie, I would highly suggest seeing it as an example of what one can create even with limited resources.