As our world becomes increasingly horrifying in new and unfathomable ways, there is no better time than now for horror to help us seek out a distraction from them. Unfortunately, this January’s releases have not provided as helpful of a distraction as I had hoped for — except for one film from one of my favorite directors that presented a fresh take on the traditional haunted house story.

Stories of the #MeToo era often focus more on the abuser rather than the victim, but Director Kitty Green is looking to shift the focus in her first feature film, “The Assistant,” which broaches the topic of workplace harassment and abuse through the perspective of a junior assistant to a film production house executive.