Ghosts Don't Exist

I like cheap B movies. I like indie films. I enjoy cheesy made for tv movies. The problem with this one was it did not bill itself as a B movie, it did not present itself like an indie film, and it did not embrace the moments of levity that could have upped the tension by contrast.

They.forgot to forget to include a plot.

The story runs like 5 different scriptwriters, with 5 different agendas, all wrote this at the same time.

No character development. No protagonist that the audience can actually buy into; it's one thing to tell a story utilizing an anti-hero as your protagonist, but this was a story utilizing a non-protagonist as the protagonist.

The thing where it gets revealed that each person on the investigative team each has their own unresolved traumas motivating them makes sense to me, but the story suggests they've been working together for years now, and it feels like they should already know this stuff about each other. Character history feels like something the scriptwriters forgot to develop and tossed on the page at the last minute.

The story lines get really tangled and disjointed the deeper into the story you get. And the resolution is cliche and repetitive, no consequences, no growth, no foreshadowing.

This is a special level of awful.

I just got back from the preview of this film and what struck me as interesting is that the during whole ride home, a good 45 minute trip, I did nothing but discuss the movie with my wife. And as I sit down to write this, she mentions how she is worried about having nightmares - a very good sign as far as Horror/Suspense films go.

I had high expectations for this movie. I understood the level of effort, skill, and collaboration that was involved and was pretty sure it would turn out to be a decent flick. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised that Ghosts Don't Exist actually exceeded my expectations in many ways.

The level of production quality is evident throughout the film and all of the elements in GDE are very well-executed, thanks to a talented cast and crew. The cinematography and musical score really stood out as exceptional, and worked perfectly to emphasize the overall mood. But, in my opinion, what defines GDE is in the original storyline and how well it is both directed and portrayed by the actors.

There are some very tense and unnerving moments throughout the movie, but GDE doesn't rely on shock tactics to scare you. The film is definitely creepy, but in a tasteful way. At the same time, it's still a horror flick at heart, and has just enough violence and blood to do the trick. I would consider GDE to be a perfect balance of elements for this genre.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie quite a bit and thought it was a huge achievement by 19th and Wilson, as well as an incredible collaborative effort by everyone involved.

This film in my opinion and those that watched with me, unfortunately fails On most levels

Of Basic film making. Story, sound, editing, lighting all need to review the basics again before embarking on any more film projects. The film at best comes across as unbalanced, random and bumpy. We were lost as far as the story goes and the tension is dissolved due to a lack of long, unemotional cuts which dissolve any attempt to build up some sort of thrill or drama. I will at least give credit to the fact that the production seems to have been funded enough to make a film as big as this one based on the endless list if credits that run when it finally ends. I know this might come across as bitter but we did give it a chance and struggled through to the end in hopes of something remotely scary, but in the end it is 2 hours we will never get back.

Brett Wilson (Phillip Roebuck), a TV ghost hunter, is persuaded by his father to do one last programme before retiring to wallow in grief after the tragic loss of his pregnant wife some months before. A man called Travis Garner (Joe Hansard) calls him and begs for help in investigating the ghost of Wilson's wife Nicole. What finally convinces him to investigate further are some intimate details of his wife that Garner reveals to Wilson.

Wilson sets off with his cameraman Ritchie (Frederick Cowie) and his assistant Jen (Devon Marie Burt). When they arrive at the house they meet another investigator David Sherman (Josh Davidson) that Garner has also called. Sherman is a professional sceptic who has made a career out of debunking paranormal investigators. He is an arrogant dick and a drunk and nobody likes him.

In Garner's house Garner tries to tell them about the ghost of Nicole but he is confused and fails to convince them. They go to leave and Garner pulls out a gun. Wilson is still going to leave when Garner gives him message from Nicole then puts the gun into his own mouth and blows his brains out.

The message is secret code that Wilson and Nicole had agreed on it and convinces Wilson to stay and investigate. More than that he shoots the tyres of their cars to stop the others leaving too. They set up their equipment and start to investigate while Sherman snarks at their gullibility, rolling his eyes as they bring out EMF meters and start hearing voices in static interference from the computer speakers.

They all start hearing voices and seeing fleeting glimpses of other people. It becomes obvious that there really is something dangerous in the house, a slow silent killer.

This film is better than I thought it was going to be. I have seen films with sceptics included just so they could prove the arrogant dick is wrong and for most of the film it certainly looks like this was going down that road but they don't.

I can't say it is an exciting film to watch but it is interesting enough. The budget is low so there's a small cast and almost no special effects.

Rating 6/10

As a previous reviewer mentioned the same thing happened. Over the car ride over home, there was quite a bit of discussion of each part dissecting the movie. I suspect there will be a lot of it after you watch the movie. The gentle messages throughout the movie.

The music made it twice as creepy, keeping me on the edge of my seat, expecting something to jump out onto the screen. All the actors played their parts really well. Definitely some scene stealing in the movie, in a good way.

Well done by the GDE cast and crew especially given the time and budget on the movie. Looking forward to more productions from 19th and Wilson.