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.

It's difficult to review Ghost Stories without giving spoilers away, so I'll be very careful in what I say. If you're after some good jump scares and some nervous laughs, then it executes those beautifully. Also, Alex Lawther should be praised for a performance that knocks it out of the park. It's a good cast, but he outshines them all. However, I do have issues with the story itself. Initially the plotting teases a new post-modern take on portmanteau horror, with the individual cases not resolving in the usual way, but building to something more climatic. But the story constructs its final act by falling back on a trope that we have all seen before and this left me disappointed when the credits rolled. From Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman you might expect something else. Something different. Something new. It's very well-made, but it's not different or new.

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

I loved this movie up until the last, oh, maybe 15 minutes or so.

The film is an extremely interesting series of ghostly investigations that force a haughty paranormal skeptic to question his life's work. Its premise is executed perfectly, and sent chills down my spine so many times (the security guard). The special effects are mostly unreliant on CGI, and that use of what's real makes the viewer feel the fear of the characters. I was able to put myself in the characters' shoes many times, experiencing their fear.

Martin Freeman gives a unique, and wonderful, performance in here. That's always to be expected out of him. He could turn dirt scripts into gold. This script was already well written though. Andy Nyman is pretty good, never seen him before this one, and I was impressed. He's good at being full of himself.

The ending is what severely weakened this. Can't believe someone would try something that's been done so many times, and went out of style back in like 2001. The ending makes sense, yes, but like... we've seen that 87 times before man. Imagine if a writer tried to use the same twist from Sixth Sense in today's age. You just can't. Overall, still a really enjoyable movie despite this flaw, and a good addition to your list of worth-watching scary movies.