This is a fairly standard new family + haunted house
movie. It is bookended by a cinematic style
similar to a crime TV show, complete with voice over. The overall cinematography uses lots of
double exposure flashes to other times.
This is interesting initially but quickly becomes dull. It also centers on a romantic plotline with
the girl next door, who ends up living in the house with them.
I do have to give this movie it’s due praises for its
depiction of a functional modern family.
This is so rare in film, especially horror. The parents are kind and liberal. They don’t immediately freak out when their
eldest son has a girl over for the night.
They greet her warmly and have a positive discussion with their son
about being careful getting so quickly into a new relationship, as well as
gently talking to her about her sudden new place in their lives. There is genuine concern & compassion in
these parental figures.
The overall premise & twist isn’t bad, and there is decent chemistry
between our romantic leads, but in the end it doesn’t all fit together very well. A combination of choppy scare scene graphics along
with heavy-handed flashbacks allow the audience to clearly see what happened
without giving that relief to the characters.
The romantic leads are occasionally annoying, but only because they act
like real teenagers (and real teenagers aren’t actually super bright or witty).
There were also a few interesting plot points that were
dropped off entirely, heavy-handed plot & foreshadowing that leads to
absolutely nothing in the end. Lots of
creepy characters and situations that were meaningless or have no
conclusion. All this adds up to
characters I found interesting, a plot & twist that were not the most
original, but were definitely workable, and a combination that just didn’t
quite hit the mark.
If you don't mind a somewhat lazy spook, this isn’t a terrible
choice.
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