Ghost Stories

British horrors are hit and miss with me, some are excessively uneasy to watch ('Eden Lake') whilst others are suitably atmospheric ('The Descent'). So when I saw the trailer to Ghost Stories, I immediately tempered expectations but what I saw increasingly intrigued me. The end result...was not what I predicted. A professor who takes pride at debunking psychic frauds, is given a task by his role model. He must investigate three unexplainable cases that challenge the existence of supernatural entities. An intriguing premise that will appeal to many, its execution however may not. Structuring its narrative through three short stories, each with a paranormal theme, whilst intertwining the cases into a coherent investigation. Combining real life conditions, such as stress, depression and loneliness, with a ghostly undertone certainly translates "the brain sees what it wants you to see" theme very well. The three cases themselves were convincingly atmospheric as they injected much needed chills and thrills to this horror flick. The main story itself, although basic, was ambiguously surreal and will leave you guessing right up to the final reveal. The acting was splendid from the whole cast, particularly Whitehouse and Lawther, hosting an array of British accents. Was it scary? No. Every single scare was accompanied with a piercing loud noise to ensure that you jump. That's not frightening, that's damn irritating! The makeup effects of the poltergeists were lacklustre. The second case should've been much scarier, but instead was rather hilarious. "Staaay!"...yeah, I wished you did. Could've enhanced the horror some more. Then we get to the ending, which is possibly one of the surrealist safest endings I've ever seen. The breadcrumbs throughout the film were intelligently positioned, but I feel it followed the same premise as an all too famous 1995 film (I won't say the title, it'll spoil it). The film is intelligently creepy, it's just not scary and it's conclusion didn't deliver any impact for me.

Within the framework of a paranormal-debunker investigating three cases which his colleague has declared unexplainable, this film presents three horror vignettes that manage a spooky atmosphere but have an overall darkly comedic overtone. This is important to know going in, I think, because dark comedy can be disappointing--even to those who like it--if one expects more sincere horror.

Though many reviewers have called this film truly scary or creepy, this is not its intention, which I think has also led to poor reviews by people disappointed with the ending. Ultimately the narrative framework coalesces into the fourth, poignant if not outright tragic vignette.

I think the filmmakers were aiming for some existential levels they did not quite reach, regarding the nature of truth and how people interpret what they see--or THINK they see. Nevertheless the film was a break from the ordinary, which this horror fanatic always appreciates.

Written and directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, Ghost Stories focuses on a certain Professor Goodman (portrayed by Andy Nyman himself), a man who has found some level of career fame in exposing and debunking the work of fraudulent so-called psychics.

The arrival of a mysterious package one day from a famous TV psychic investigator from Goodman's own childhood era, Charles Cameron (Leonard Byrne) - a man thought to be long dead and whose own disappearance years before had been shrouded in mystery - soon changes the course of Goodman's future work, dramatically.

It transpires that there are three ghostly mysteries that Cameron himself had wrestled with throughout his life, yet they remain unresolved to this day. It is Cameron's wish, in his old age, that Goodman should now investigate them and bring some much needed resolution to proceedings.

Armed with each of the case files, Goodman sets about tracking down the three key proponents, upon whose testimony these apparent other-worldly happenings are based.

Though somewhat shaken by his findings, Goodman's own innate scepticism leads him to believe that each of these cases can easily be explained away through the simple application of science and logic.

But sometimes it's the psychological uncertainties of our own minds that can provide the biggest clues when we seek to make sense of the seemingly inexplicable.

Dyson and Nyman's Ghost Stories works effectively for much of its duration as an apparently straight forward, slightly hammed-up spook-fest, though there is little by way of conclusions that can be garnered on face value from any of the three tales.

But alarm bells should begin to ring for the viewer when one considers that the first two tales are told from the perspective of a couple of characters who, despite ultimately finding themselves cornered by forces of evil and in apparently terminally hopeless predicaments, both still somehow manage to live to tell the tale. And it's only once the third tale reaches it's climactic 'conclusion' that events really start to take a peculiar twist, and Ghost Stories slips into an even more intriguing dimension altogether; one whose narrative slips and slides between apparently random events of varied illogic, yet one which ultimately helps to tie the film's pieces neatly and cleverly together.

There are a few passing parallels with landmark horror films of yesteryear. Elements of Poltergeist and The Blair Witch Project are apparent in places, but curiously it's a sort of tongue-in-cheek, 'hammer house' atmosphere that is most prevalent here. And although admittedly bearing little resemblance, content-wise, Roy Ward Baker's 1981 ghoulish and very British, twist-in-the-tale offering, The Monster Club, with its own lightly comical regaling of three haunting tales - is for me, somehow the film that I am most reminded of.

Certainly, within their own film, Dyson and Nyman are unafraid to administer generous doses of gallows humour in just the right places, and the casting of two chiefly comic actors in Martin Freeman and Paul Whitehouse - both of whom are excellent here - in two of the film's key roles, certainly helps with regard to this, whilst Nyman's own rather more straight portrayal of a man with an emotionally-scarred past, is equally impressive.

Whether it's to be considered a mysterious cognitive thriller or simply a ghostly shocker, either way, Ghost Stories is highly effective, lingering on in the memory the way all good cerebrally-challenging psychological horrors should.

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Saw 'Ghost Stories' as someone who loved the trailer, appreciates horror, has enjoyed her fair share of anthology films (i.e. Hammer), was intrigued by the cast and loved the idea. It appealed to me straight away, and it quickly became another one of my most anticipated films of the years.

It also, after seeing it, very nearly became one of my favourites of the year thus far. A perfect example of how to execute British horror well, one of the better ones in years and another film to live up to a great idea and even outdo it. Would also go far to say that 'Ghost Stories' is one of the best anthology films personally seen too, certainly one of the most consistent, but it's much more than just an anthology film. It's also an unsettling and very well crafted film in its own right for any genre. 'Ghost Stories' won't go down as one of my favourite films ever and is not quite one of my favourites of the year, though it is in the better half, but a lot of work went into it and it shows.

Not everything surprises, there are places where knowing what is going to happen is not difficult. The tone shift towards the end jars ever so slightly. Really though there is very little wrong with 'Ghost Stories'. The episodic structure, inevitable as it is an anthology film and all the anthology films seen which is a lot are episodic, is not a problem at all when it could have been easily. Primarily because of the pacing being so fluid, the structure being tight and the atmosphere, the film also knew what to do with itself, what it wanted to be and who to aim it at, not always the case in horror.

Visually, there are some really striking and unnerving images in 'Ghost Stories', providing a good deal of eeriness and then there are the clever visual references. The film also boasts some of the cleverest and best use of sound editing and design of the year so far, another standout of the year being 'A Quiet Place'.

Writing is twisted, intelligent, thoughtful and darkly humorous. There are a lot of genuinely unsettlingly creepy moments in each story and the unnerving atmosphere is constant with a great touch of the bizarre and the grotesque without ever being confusing or dull. Anthology films can be inconsistent, where there are stories that fare better than others. 'Ghost Stories' is a rare case for an anthology film where all the stories work, hence why it was called earlier on in the review one of the most consistent anthology films. The plot twist is totally unexpected and stays with you.

Directing is assured and beautifully handled. The performances are spot on across the board. Was not expecting actors known for comedy like Paul Whitehouse and Martin Freeman to excel in roles where more of a dramatic approach was required, they do so magnificently. Alex Lawther is one to watch.

Concluding, hugely impressive and well worth the watch. Those who like British horror, or horror in general, shouldn't miss it. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This portmanteau film is made up of 3 scary ghost stories, all investigated by a man of science who is convinced the paranormal can be explained away with mundane explanations. A mysterious package leads him to investigate these 3 spooky tales. Great acting, well shot and directed, with a very British sense of humour sprinkled throughout. Do not read too much about this movie, just go and experience it, I think you will find it scary, interesting and most of all worth your time.