Oddity… that was a nicely done ghost story.
The atmosphere is really what makes this one work. The plot isn’t that complex, and most of the acting solid, but understated (in a very British sort of way).
That atmosphere came courtesy of some very well framed shots and a fantastic use of the difference between steady, static wider shots and much closer hand-held styled shots. Sometimes the cuts between those were jarring, and sometimes the jump scares weren’t completely connected to those cuts. Quite effective, indeed.
Add to that framing a setting–an old, large, isolated, manor house that would make Hill House jealous or a dingy mental hospital–and the constant dim (but not *too* dark) lighting and you have a recipe for making any still you grab from this film solidly creepy just on its own.
Throw in interesting characters, the joyful wife who gets brutally murdered (in that old, large, isolated manor house), her blind psychic sister who owns an antique shop full of haunted items, the widower who’s a doctor at the dingy mental hospital, and a few other choice picks to round things out and everything feels just “off” enough without being wildly outlandish.
Oh, and there’s the horrifying wooden, mostly human-looking, sculpture that comes into play. Can’t forget that… not even if you try. It’ll be showing up in multiple shadows out of the corner of your eye for a bit. (It’s also very well used in the film…)
Along with the minimalist choices for settings, cast, and story, the soundtrack is also relatively low-key. It’s almost always there, adding to the unease of things and then sneaking up on you as much as a jump scare or that sense of dread as you piece together what’s actually gone on.
I really liked this one. And I love that the director incorporated things from all the short films he did into this, having them all set in the same little world that’s all his. I really appreciate stuff like that when done well.
What makes this a ghost story?
Ghost stories are about the sins of the past coming back to collect. About resolution of past wrongs and justice meted out through supernatural means. And that’s very much a key part of what goes on in this film. We even get to see a few ghosts along the way.
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