The Witch in the Window

Possibly a bit slow-burning for many horror fans, but I enjoyed this one. The horror elements of the story are passable, but what really elevated it in my mind was the rapport and dialogue between father and son, which was quirky and believable. The ghost was fine, not super memorable, but with a couple effective scenes. The drama aspects of the film, however, made it enjoyable. For such a short film, it dragged on a bit at the end, which is why I docked points, but still definitely worth a look.

Decided to watch this alone in bed. It was a mistake haha Genuinely creepy slow burning horror. Doesn't go for easy jump scares, slowly builds the dread. Great performances by all the cast, really great cinematography. If you like your horror to have a bit more depth then give this a go

Was pretty intrigued by the concept, which may not have been a new one but there was potential for it to be a creepy film if done right. The title is simple but certainly grabs the attention and is to the point. Some of my horror reviews recently sound indicates someone who dislikes the horror genre, quite the contrary, it's not my favourite genre but there are many watchable and more (even classic) films in it and there is appreciation for it (as with all genres old and new).

'The Witch in the Window' is certainly nowhere near close to being one of my worst recent film viewings and have definitely seen far worse throughout my life. However, a classic 'The Witch in the Window' is not and have also seen much better films recently. It is another one of those watchable films that doesn't quite do enough with its potential but doesn't squander it, which was a relief for me having seen a lot of potential wastes and was growing tired of them.

Starting with the good things, 'The Witch in the Window' does provide unsettlement visually, with ominous photography that has slickness if not always refinement. The setting and lighting similarly are spooky. It is hauntingly scored and there is evidence of focus and momentum in the directing.

Once it gets going, 'The Witch in the Window' does boast a good amount of skin-crawling suspense and unsettling scares. As well as a surprising emotional impact in a quietly sorrowful sort of way, there is evidence of character development here and while not rich it was hardly surface level. Actually found myself caring for the lead characters and their story, which did give the film its heart. The acting is pretty decent too.

However, 'The Witch in the Window' does take too long to get going and set up with a pretty dull first 20-25 minutes that could easily have been tightened. Worse was the ending, which on top of being too easily telegraphed too early was very rushed and muddled, as well as going overboard on the bitter-sweetness.

Much more could have been done with the titular character, who should have been the star of the show but the way she is utilised and written is one of the biggest drawbacks. She is scary but has a back-story that is badly under-developed with too many things on an explanation level left unclear and then confused when explanation is attempted. Throughout the dialogue is very stilted.

Altogether, watchable but lacking in too many areas. 5/10 Bethany Cox

What a wonderful surprise this was. Went in expecting very little but got a really well shot, well acted classic ghost story. Not breaking too many boundaries in terms of originality but solid and genuinely chilling and scary in places. Definitely a hidden gem and worthy of a higher score on here.

Written and filmed as a "Hallmark Moment" film with supernatural overtones The Witch In The Window was actually quite well done, but failed to avoid the expected foreshadowing which turned the ending twist into an expected moment.

The member of the production team who deserves the most credit for this picture is the camera operator as his ability to properly line up angles and shots allowed for the subtle and passive introduction of spectral portion of this story. A combination of a made for TV Version of The Shining with a dash of Being John Malcovich and The Others thrown in for good measure.

Please do not get me nor the other reviews wrong; this is a well-made entry-level ghost story that was both well written and acted, a slow-burn that was beautifully enduring in its exposure, however, I just failed to feel rewarded for my patience. A ghost story I would happily suggest for my 12-year old who may be overwhelmed with a more In-Your-Face type film.

I wanted so much to enjoy this movie; after reading countless reviews about how this was an amazing film I am sorry, but I just couldn't get on-board with that mentality. With a relatively short run time of 75+ minutes I recommend you give it a shot yourself as it is basically like watching two television episodes back-to-back in regards to time invested.