The film opens with excessive amount of background material, but not enough to explain the events, just that there is a haunted house with an old tube machine that still works which allows the user to converse with the dead in case they can't spell on a Ouija Board. A new family moves into the house which basically mirrors the old one.
The film then centers on the oldest son Evan (Harrison Gilbertson) and his newly acquired playmate and seer Samantha (Liana Liberato) to the unfortunate exclusion of everyone else. On the plus side, the build up was fairly decent with fleeting glimpses of moving figures and the past. At one point during the film, I did get a chill, something that is rare treat.
On the negative side was the narration of Jacki Weaver as Janet Morello. Her hair was done in a Zelda Rubenstein fashion and she used her small voice as if to imitate her. I think the film would have worked better without the narration. The other characters were never developed or really used in this haunting manner. It appeared Anita was getting into it, but it was just poorly done, missing opportunities.
A 5 star film I added a star for the unexpected chill.
Parental Guidance: No F-bombs. Implied teen sex. No nudity.
Note to self: Ghosts do not haunt when lights are on and people are eating pizza.
The film then centers on the oldest son Evan (Harrison Gilbertson) and his newly acquired playmate and seer Samantha (Liana Liberato) to the unfortunate exclusion of everyone else. On the plus side, the build up was fairly decent with fleeting glimpses of moving figures and the past. At one point during the film, I did get a chill, something that is rare treat.
On the negative side was the narration of Jacki Weaver as Janet Morello. Her hair was done in a Zelda Rubenstein fashion and she used her small voice as if to imitate her. I think the film would have worked better without the narration. The other characters were never developed or really used in this haunting manner. It appeared Anita was getting into it, but it was just poorly done, missing opportunities.
A 5 star film I added a star for the unexpected chill.
Parental Guidance: No F-bombs. Implied teen sex. No nudity.
Note to self: Ghosts do not haunt when lights are on and people are eating pizza.