Harry Price: Ghost Hunter

Rafe Spall plays 'ghost hunter' Harry Price. In the wake of World War I many people had lost loved ones and could not reconcile the senseless waste that had occurred and wanted to be able to speak to them beyond the grave. This included the very high and very low in society. In order to fill the void a mini industry took off of mediums and psychics who used all manner of tricks and scams to exploit their grief.

Harry Price is in this field and is contacted by a high profile MP whose wife has had a bit of a 'turn' and come over all unnecessary; she in turn claims that their new home, an erstwhile 'workhouse', is haunted. He is called in to investigate and prevent the poor woman from being hauled off to the sanatorium – posh word for mad house.

Now this is a TV film but has very high production values for the most part. There was some wobble camera at the beginning but that seemed to calm down – much to my relief. The acting is all top notch and a real chemistry builds between Price and the maid Sarah played by the wonderful Cara Theobold. There are some really spooky bits but this is essentially a detective story with psychic overtones and I must say I greatly enjoyed it. I hope they make some more - recommended.

Any self respecting British citizen with a bent for the supernatural knows about Harry Price. To see any production on film or television with his name attached instantly gets the knowing excited. This is, as regards this ITV production, more a curse than a blessing.

When Guy Ritchie re-imaged Sherlock Holmes, the most striking thing was that his Holmes and Watson could actually be any buddy buddy duo, the famous names are incidental in that it sells the premise. The same is the case here, this really could just be a British paranormal investigator of his own accord, instead of the makers attributing the Price name just to make an appealing heading.

The pic is a decent spooker, nice period design, safely written - and even though Rafe Spall as Price is oddly cast - it's decently performed. It plods at times, veering close to being boorish with its paranormal literary kinks, but for those without any affinity to the real Harry Price then this is a good watch. Those who who do know their Price onions, on the other hand, will only be left disappointed. 6/10

This was a very traditional Gothic drama where suspense rather than gory special effects drove the film and it did it very well.

A lot of people have also commented on the 'wokeness' of the cast, which shows they don't know much about history. There were quite a few black showmen and indeed at that time pharmacist were snake oil salesmen. One was quite famous in my dad's youth (1920s, he was an older parent) and he touted his witch doctor credentials around the U. K. on racecourses etc, doing pretty much what the character was doing. He was from London and originally came as crew for an incoming ship, so all these derogatory reviews about the 'wokeness' of the film are nonsense.

All in all this was a well played film and leaned towards the gothic stories exceedingly well. I think that the use of Harry Price's name was a little pointless though, unless they intended it to be a series which never got made.

I couldn't care less if its not an accurate representation of the real Harry Price, all I know is it's a rollicking good tale well told and acted. Don't understand at all why it wasn't picked up for a series. Far better than anything Mark Gatiss has come up with recently.

Good plot, lovely performances by all, nice period setting. I, too, wish it had become a regular series, I would have enjoyed that.