“Observance” is a psychological thriller by Joseph Sims-Dennett that takes its audience into a world of paranoia and horror. Released in 2015, the film follows a grieving private detective Parker (played by Lindsay Farris) who resumes his work as a private investigator after the traumatizing death of his young son, a failed marriage and financial difficulties. He is given the unusual assignment of observing a woman from an abandoned apartment. As a result, Parker witnesses bizarre events around her, unaware that the abandoned building from which he is watching her carries a dark presence that threatens to slowly engulf him. Why Parker is watching the woman remains hidden from the audience; all that becomes visible is that she is not well. The job becomes more and more of a nightmare for Parker and he becomes increasingly entangled in a web of fear, madness, disturbing nightmares and supernatural events. A dark atmosphere prevails in “Observance”. The apartment in the abandoned building where Parker is staying is claustrophobically cramped and illustrates Parker's isolation and anxiety. This feeling is reinforced by the tight shots and bizarre angles of Rodrigo Vidal-Dawson's camerawork, making Parker's inner life visible to the audience. Lindsay Farris delivers an impressive performance as Parker. He convincingly conveys the emotional turmoil and inner pain of his character. The film's slow narrative style illustrates Parker's path to madness step by step, creating tension. Information is only revealed at a late stage and it is difficult to draw one's own conclusions, as Parker's actions become increasingly difficult for the audience to comprehend. All in all, Joseph Sims-Dennett has created a film that stands out from the crowd and whose effect is hard to resist. “Observance” could hardly be more effective at making us dread what we're watching" (The Hollywood Reporter). “Lots of questions, hardly any answers - ”Observance" loves to throw the viewer into a mysterious story and leave them alone in it. For some, that won't be enough, especially as there are hardly any shock moments. For lovers of emphatically enigmatic mystery thrillers, however, this low-budget film is a real insider tip thanks to its dense, eerie atmosphere." (Oliver Armknecht, on: film-rezensionen.de)