By Chris Summerfield
This supernatural/thriller is set in a dark and drab looking house, the house being the family home of where Annie (Caity Lotz), the central character, spent her childhood. The plot being based around Annie and her family.
The director and writer, Nicholas McCarthy, stating the reason he decided upon basing the story within the house was for the creep factor and his budget for the movie. Most of the camera work being close filming in which I was impressed by, as it helped to feel the tension.
The movie begins with Nicole (Agnes Bruckner). Nicole being the sister of Annie, who is at their childhood house, being there to arrange their mother’s funeral, she is talking to Annie on her mobile phone, Annie being reluctant about going to the funeral. This quickly gives you the impression of a family feud, makes you want to learn more why the family is so dysfunctional.
The movie has a creepy feel to it and I enjoyed the part when Nicole talks to her daughter on webcam, trying to get a better connection walking around the room and when she does her daughter asks who that is behind her, she turns to see nobody there. Nicole goes to investigate.
Annie then goes to the house wanting to see her sister, Nicole, and when arriving finds the house empty, she calls her cousin, Liz (Kathleen Rose Perkins) who has left numerous calls upon her phone, she then calls her sister, Nicole’s mobile phone to discover it calling out in one of the rooms.
Casper Van Dien, plays a great part as a detective trying to get to the bottom of the mystery and meets a brutal end.
At first you can’t help but feel this is just going to be another creepy, supernatural movie, does have the flicking lights, Annie on an occasion being tossed around the room by an invisible force, nothing shocking or that hasn’t been done before, though this movie is a lot more than that, such as, you have to discover is the ghost harming people or trying to protect them? And this family seems to have some very dark secrets and as the movie progresses, a few shocking discoveries are in store for Annie, especially towards the end when she performs a ritual to contact the spirit that haunts the house, believing it was at first her mother but Annie had discovered it wasn’t, it was the spirit of a murdered woman and during the ritual the spirit reveals some shocking truths, that lead the movie to a gripping climax.
This movie is definitely an intelligent supernatural/thriller, worthy of a Friday night watch.
Rating: 8/10
