I remember going to the theater to see this particular film. I’m pretty sure I went with Kristin, and that is important because although she was a shitty girlfriend, almost every movie I saw with her in the theater was good, surprisingly.
I know that there is controversy about the whole “based on a true story” disclaimer. This is because Ed and Lorraine Warren, you know, the couple from The Conjuring, well they checked this place out. Ed apparently had a past of telling people to add to the story or whatever, so while most of this may be true or believed to be true. Does it really matter? If you don’t believe in ghosts, you probably don’t believe the story to be real, and if you do believe ghosts, you probably buy into the story.
The story is pretty much straightforward. You have Sara and Peter Campbell along with their children Matt and Billy. Also, Wendy and Mary are the cousins, Wendy being the older one who deals with the young ones. Matt has cancer and one of the side effects of the treatment that he is on is that it may cause him to see things that aren’t there. The drive is long for the treatment, so the family moves to this decent house that is perfect for them, but of course, it is cheap because of its history. Peter is pissed about the costs and he is a recovering alcoholic, so he goes a little crazy. The big thing is that Matt sees things that are terrifying. He ends up making friends with Rev Nicholas Popescu, played by the great Elias Koteas. Sara is played by Virginia Madsen of Candyman fame, so you got some heavy hitters here. Without spoiling it, there are more and more hauntings until they figure out what the ghosts are trying to tell them, as is the formula in this genre.
The reason why this is one of the better films in this subgenre is that the acting is solid and the look and effects are pretty top notch. Realistically, it’s the little things like these that help separate the good from the bad and this belongs in the good pile. One thing I will say though, the replay value of this film isn’t incredibly high. By the third time, you may find yourself bored, as I was on my third time.
Rating: 5.9 – I can’t give it a 6 because of the lack of replay value. Everything else was really good and makes this a worthy watch.
All the pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are the property of:
- Lionsgate (presents)
- Gold Circle Films (presents)
- Integrated Films & Management (as Integrated Films)
- Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (with the participation of)
- Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit (with the participation of)
- Province of British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit (with the participation of)
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