Grief can be a powerful thing. It can lead to both good and bad. Some people go through loss and grief with a decision to better themselves and become more, while others hit the bottom and fall victim to depression and all the horrors that can come with it. In life in general, the loss of a loved one, be it a friend, family member, or even a lifelong family pet - it’s how we handle it that makes us who we are in the end.

Anything for Jackson follows Audrey and Henry Walsh (Sheila McCarthy and Julian Richings) in their plot to kidnap pregnant Becker (Konstantina Mantelos) and possess her unborn child with their dead grandson, Jackson. The overall story is fairly simplistic, but ultimately, it turns out to be a haunted house movie. One of my favorite genres is the haunting category. There’s just something about supernatural hijinks that I find enjoyable. However, in almost all poltergeist activity events, the same basic tactics seem to apply. Anything for Jackson falls victim to those clichés. The creepy hag in a corner or the attacking entity from the dark, all haunted habitations seem to have the same generic jumps involved. With a fairly straightforward plot, you would think they would have time to plug a couple side holes. However, the few that are there don’t take away from the plot in general but instead leave more of a head tilt reaction of “...but how?”

Sheila McCarthy is a grandmother obsessed with bringing back her grandson Jackson and will go to literally any lengths to achieve it. She comes across as the obsessed person that thinks nothing is too much when achieving the end game. At times, she comes across as the motherly type with an intermittent switch that reminds you she is doing what she thinks needs to be done. Julian is the loving husband that will go to all ends to make his wife happy. At one point, you actually see his resolve as he’s breaking the news to Becker about her being pregnant and texting with his wife about finding the perfect candidate. The acting does however take a downturn with the character Becker, played by Konstantina Mantelos. With all the apparent danger she is in she just doesn’t seem to be believably terrified. Even after revealing what is coming, she just seems more aggravated than worried about her safety. 

In modern film and huge Hollywood budgets, computer effects can take away from the overall experience when they don’t really fit and just seem to go beyond what is needed. This seems to be the most apparent in horror. Anything for Jackson doesn’t fall victim to that trap. This point is made solid by the ghosts and gore in the movie. It’s not often you get to see a real contortionist scare the crap out of people. If you know your viral YouTube videos and pranks you might recognize Troy James and his appearance. All the ghosts seem to be solid designs. Little to no CGI was used to try and make things over the top. Pretty much everything is make-up, prosthetics, lighting, and camera angles. 

From start to finish, you end up with a steady build in the process of dealing with Audrey’s grief, Henry’s need to keep her happy, and the lengths they go to try to cope in their own twisted way. Some borderline creepy ghosts help keep the tension rising, and all of this is tied together with excellent practical effects. Anything for Jackson makes a solid viewing for a Friday night jump for any horror fan.

RORSCHACH RATING

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Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Anything for Jackson is property of Shudder. We do not own nor claim any rights. Anything for Jackson is now streaming exclusively on Shudder.

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