Ghost Stories (2017)
IMDb genre: Drama/Horror
Director: Jeremy Dyson & Andy Newman
Writer: Jeremy Dyson & Andy Newman
Starring: Andy Newman, Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse
IMDb plot summary: Arch skeptic Professor Phillip Goodman embarks upon a terror-filled quest when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable 'hauntings'.
*SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD*
I was lucky enough to catch this one early at Odeon's Scream Unseen on Monday & I'm still a little freaked out by it a week later. Before we get into this review, I haven't seen the play (& having seen the film I think I'd probably have a heart attack) so there won't be comparisons to it but as it's made by the same people I'm just going to assume they're happy with it.
Let's get the bad bits out of the way first. The music is occasionally a bit "much". I know horror movies & creepy music go hand-in-hand but don't blow out my eardrums. Also, if you've seen the trailer you know Andy Newman's character is talking to the camera from behind a desk. I've seen it & I still don't know who he was supposed to be talking to. It's not a big niggle but there we go. On to the positives!
The acting is outstanding from everyone & they don't put a step wrong directing in my opinion. It's definitely one to make you proud to be British!
I know many horror movies are marketed as 'the scariest of all time', 'make audience members throw up/pass out' etc & it's always a bit of a disappointment when they're just a normal horror movie. This one though is the other way around, I've seen it called 'terrifying' in the marketing but that's pretty normal horror movie marketing talk. In reality though this film is almost too scary at points.
It's sort of an anthology film in that Andy Newman's character is investigating, and trying to debunk, three cases of supernatural encounters and each is shown separately. The first is the most effective building of tension that I've seen in some time and whereas a lot of horror movies are 'build tension, jump scare, start over' this segment is more 'build tension, scare, increase tension, scare, increase tension, big scare'. The second shows excellent pacing for the film as a whole & while it's still creepy in places it also provides some well-needed comic relief (the paranoid Simon screaming 'fuck that!' & running after a goat-like creature climbs into the back of his car & hisses 'stay' got a huge laugh I think both because of the scares beforehand & also because it's how we all like to think we'd react). The third case ramps up the scares again & also adds an emotional level that makes you more attached, Martin Freeman's character is strange to say the least but he creates a relatable, complex character in very little screen time.
I don't want to spoil the ending but I would say that it gets a little weird at a point but stick with it. It's a payoff that you won't see coming & it will get under your skin & stay there.
As I know do my blog on my phone sometimes it's a pain with importing pictures so I'm going to use similar emojis instead in some blogs, starting with this one.
General Opinion:
🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅
Maximum stars, no question!
Scare Factor:
🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️
Scariest film I've seen it some time & I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Gore:
💉
Basically none but it doesn't need it.
Clowns:
🤡🤡🤡
The middle case is funny but good grief do you need it with all the other scares! Definitely not a horror comedy.
Ghost Stories is in UK cinemas Friday 6th April
