The Heiress

Good example of not judging a book by its cover. This is actually a good little find. I rented this last night to watch with the wife who spent most of the film launching her popcorn and coke over my lap. Yes there's a few expected jumps but also a nice little creepy story to keep you engaged. Good to see an English haunting instead of the same old big American haunted house stuff that's rammed down our throats with CGI demons. The kid with the mask is freaky as hell, especially that scene in the bedroom with the radio.

Shame it's not available to buy on DVD in the UK but not a bad little film at all. Will probably watch again near Halloween

With a brilliant central performance, The Heiress slowly builds its tension, taking its story in unexpected directions. Director Chris Bell is just as confident flipping genre tropes as he is utilising traditional scare tactics to keep the viewer firmly behind a pillow. The "person behind a closing door" scares are there, but they don't feel worn in the same way they do in other films as they are earnt through the ever thicker atmosphere the film churns up. The Heiress also faces up to the traditional Church vs Science fight shared by many other suburban horror films, but tackles it with a fresh approach that feels more grounded in reality. This juxtaposition is echoed throughout the film, a fight between the mundane and supernatural, be it parental bickering or vivid dreams. But the bottom line with a horror film is "does it scare?" Here The Heiress really delivers. It is one thing to make a decrepit mansion or a dark forest scary, but here the terror is in brightly lit fields and a detached new build.

Lots of potential and good acting but the storyline wandered for the last 25 mins and ultimately wasn't that scary. The tension between the medical and church is a good idea but never really developed.

Let me start by saying if you want a big Hollywood studio jump scare horror, you probably won't like this film. I love horror and this film was such a pleasant surprise. The writers have made a creepy ghost story set in modern rural England. I jumped on a few occasions and instantly felt the emotion from the lead actress. For a modern English horror this was very very good and on par with the original Woman in Black for those old enough to remember that on TV.

It's a strong 7 for me based on story and the lead cast. Also an extra thumbs up for having two female leads for a change.

Hope they do a sequel

One of the worst indies I've seen in a while. Shot on a tiny budget so it's just two people talking for most of the running time. Some religious stuff to pad out the slim length. It's about two sisters, one of whom sees ghosts, but the other thinks she's going mad. Absolutely no reason to tune in on this one.