It would be very easy to dismiss a movie like this, but it's not the total disaster that some have described it as. Certainly there are a number of short set pieces which were engaging. What lets it down is the desire to be too many things: is it a vampire movie, a psychological thriller or a ghost story? is it based on power, revenge, or lust? At various points it tries to be all of these things but sadly never truly manages to be any of them well. There are far too many unnecessary ingredients here, which means that the good ideas don't have room to breathe, and not enough space is given to the viewer to become truly engaged before the plot jumps on to the next part of the story.
Casting is a positive, and despite what has been said, the acting is never terrible. For the most part the central characters deliver their lines well but again, crowded out by too many ideas, the dialogue ends up needing to push the plot forward rather than allowing them to relate especially well to each other. Far too often, the moment any interesting relationship starts to develop, we are shunted on to the next set piece like a passenger on a ghost train. This limits the opportunities for the actors to bring us anything that we might empathise with.
As a classic Hammer enthusiast, I really wanted to enjoy this film, and there are some genuine highlights for fans of the genre that make it worth a look, but like the crucible in the story itself, what could have been a powerful story is left disjointed and half-buried. Every time it piqued my interest, it changed its mind about where it was going. The ambition is admirable, but in the end the characters, the plot, and ultimately the viewer are all left bravely grasping for something that they never quite reach.
