Attempting a creepy vibe, this movie doesn't succeed. Instead of building the creep factor, it only manages to build impatience.
In the first 10 minutes, the scene is set perfectly for a good old fashioned ghost story. And for some reason, the next hour is devoted to little except maddeningly tedious scene-setting ambiance. Blinking shadows, clattering mechanical toys, and faces in the window, during which the plot is not moved forward.
Radcliffe is OK, but he doesn't really show the rising levels of fright, frustration, or anything really that might have made the sequences useful. A better actor (or more experienced, if you like) would be able to come unhinged at least a little bit and make the movie more interesting, even if just for those 40 minutes. The role calls for someone who can carry this movie alone, and he's not there.
As for the ending, I'll just say this: the resolution comes all too easily and the "plot" seemed ultimately pointless, with the end a complete mushy letdown. Not spooky, not scary, not creepy, and worst of all, not interesting.
In the first 10 minutes, the scene is set perfectly for a good old fashioned ghost story. And for some reason, the next hour is devoted to little except maddeningly tedious scene-setting ambiance. Blinking shadows, clattering mechanical toys, and faces in the window, during which the plot is not moved forward.
Radcliffe is OK, but he doesn't really show the rising levels of fright, frustration, or anything really that might have made the sequences useful. A better actor (or more experienced, if you like) would be able to come unhinged at least a little bit and make the movie more interesting, even if just for those 40 minutes. The role calls for someone who can carry this movie alone, and he's not there.
As for the ending, I'll just say this: the resolution comes all too easily and the "plot" seemed ultimately pointless, with the end a complete mushy letdown. Not spooky, not scary, not creepy, and worst of all, not interesting.