An Taibhse

Caught An Taibhse in cinemas in Belfast and really enjoyed it! A solid horror film with great acting and seriously impressive sound design. The sound in the tunnel scenes was especially creepy, with every echo and breath building tension. The constant wind outside the house, the creaks, and the breathing all added to the atmosphere, it really got under your skin. Only downside is there weren't more screenings, a few of my mates wanted to see it too, but it was only on at 2pm on the Sunday which was a bit frustrating. Would definitely recommend if it comes back around. Tom Kerrisk, Livvy Hill, and Anthony Murphy were all brilliant, but hands down my favourite scene was the dinner table moment between Anthony Murphy and Tom Kerrisk... properly tense!!!

Such a great, intense movie! Beautifully shot with a compelling narrative. I especially loved seeing the Irish language featured - it adds a unique depth to the storytelling. Brilliant for both horror and non-horror fans alike, as it offers something for everyone. More films like this would be fantastic! The blend of culture and genre is truly captivating, making it a standout in its category. The use of Irish language enriches the film's authenticity and emotional impact, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in diverse storytelling. I loved all the jumpy moments and the sounds too. Watch it in the cinema.

Actually that is the international title of this Irish movie - Ghost. That said and without giving too much away, there is more to this than some paranormal activity ... even though we only have two characters (on the living side of things) for the most part ... this knows how to tell a story. The cinematography and the sound design are quite amazing for this.

The director was quite proud to have been able to do this in Irish ... for the first time ever even? While the main male character spoke it anyway (we had subtitles .. even English seem to struggle with it), but the female lead had to do it phonetically or learned it - and I think you can tell. It didn't bother me, but just in case you notice and you are bothered by it. She is doing an amazing job - not just language wise and no pun intended.

I would think that most who have seen a few movies, will know where this is heading or rather ... let's call them plot points of the movie. There is a ladder scene early on (window washing) that is a clear indicator ... the way it is shot ... we got the memo ... still the movie does not lose any of its punch or powerful message ... stick up for yourself ... even if others don't believe you ... you have to fight .. because no one else will!

I was lucky enough to catch this John Farelly movie in my local cinema. Being a fan of both horror and the Irish language, I felt I had too. Still, going in, I didn't hold high hopes and was expecting just another paint-by-numbers haunted house film, with all the usual tropes. However, without giving too much away the horror here is so much more than that and stayed with me for days afterwards. This is something I can rarely say about any film I've watched in recent years, so it's meant as high praise.

For me the Irish language added to the authenticity of the film's setting, without being a distraction. It was great hearing Gaelic spoken in a folk horror film like this, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I understood thanks to a renewed interest in recent years.

In terms of comparisons, yes there are strong parallels with 'The Shining' regarding the isolated location, and the vulnerability of the broken family who come to take care of the otherwise empty mansion over the harsh winter months. There are also shades of 'Pan's Labyrinth' here. In hindsight, being two of my all-time favourite movies, I was always going to love An Taibhse. But this film is very much its own beast too, and the disturbing nature of its psychological horror should leave even seasoned viewers of the genre with chills.

As a long time Horror fan who used to pace the aisles of X-travision for any horror I could get my hands on, An Taibhse is a breath of fresh air.

Finally!!!! A movie where the tension and jump scares feel evenly distributed and are present just enough in Act One to keep you invested, without going overkill. I really enjoyed the pace and twists throughout the film. You could argue the first part of the film is a bit slow and drawn out, but again, as someone who has seen a lot of horror, I felt they did a great job of providing setup, intrigue and also keeping me on the edge of my seat with some frights. Act 2 brings another level of urgency and fear to the plot and you can feel the ending building and building, which brings me on to act 3! What an incredible ending. The cinematography, the anxiety, the collection of shots and acting was just superb. Horror movies are often let down by their endings but An Taibhse does an excellent job of giving you a strong conclusion while also leaving you squirming as you leave the cinema.

For a production with such a low budget, it's truly amazing what they did with it. You could nit pick some set choices and other production pieces, but for me, they were a non-issue. This wasn't a Hollywood produced film and I'd argue it beats most horrors with much larger budgets.

Overall, I think anyone familiar with the horror genre will have a fun ride watching this film. The movie being in Irish was a lovely touch although outside of my school years, I wouldn't have a strong enough grasp on the language to comment on the use of the language in the film. But I thoroughly enjoyed getting to watch an Irish speaking film in an Irish cinema!!