Director: Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman
Writer: Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman (Screenplay)
Starring: Andy Nyman, Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse, Alex Lawther, Paul Warren
Plot: 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’
Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Creepy & Weird
Story: Ghost Stories starts as Professor Goodman (Nyman) a paranormal debunker shows what he does with his television show Psychic Cheat, we learn how his idol went missing, but when he receives a mysterious message to meet, he wants him to solve three cases that he could never explain.
Goodman meets the men Tony (Whiehouse) whose experience in an abandoned hospital has left his scared, Simon (Lawther) who has become obsessed with solving what happened to him on a drive home and Mike (Freeman) a wealthy man that can’t explain what happened to him.
Thoughts on Ghost Stories
Characters – Professor Goodman is a paranormal debunker, he has made a career out of proving there is no such thing as the supernatural, assigned to solve three unexplained cases which will tests his beliefs. Mike is a wealthy man that has his own story which will only leave him question his life. Tony is a night watchman that has been left shocked by the events of one night on the job. Simon is a young man that’s story has made him obsessed with finding out what happened on that night.
Performances – Andy Nyman is good in this leading role where he gets through the stories, while also going through his own story that will leave you shocked. Martin Freeman is clearly the most talented of this cast because you are instantly interested in where his at times unlikable character can be. Paul Whitehouse is good but the weakest of the three, mostly because his story is the simplest. Alex Lawther gets the most laughs with his performance because his story has the funniest part of the movie in it.
Story – The story is difficult to talk about without giving away spoilers, this is mostly because it isn’t just the three ghost stories being told, this side of the story is interesting and everything you would imagine, we have simple ghost stories that are not over the top and feel like true stories that may have affected real people. When you get to the final third of the movie it is nearly impossible to explain, it is weird and wonderful at same time, the only thing I will say is to watch the clues appear, as nothing goes in the direction you will be expecting it to go.
Horror – The horror is the by the book scares through the stories, it is the final third that has the most unexpected moments in.
Settings – The three stories are in different locations, while also being generic horror location for the most part, be it the abandoned hospital, middle of the woods or an isolated home.
Special Effects – The effects are used well through the film, with most usage coming in the final third.
Scene of the Movie – STAY!
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Some of the clues are really thrown in your face.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror film that I feel will divide the audience, because it almost feels like two different movies by the end, the final third is nearly impossible to predict which is good to watch, but it doesn’t fit the tone of the first two thirds at times.
Overall: Horror movie that makes you think weird thoughts.
Rating
