Haunter

Haunter is a ghost story with a twist. The film is based on the interesting concept of a family who lives the same day all over again. This idea is cleverly used in the first part of the movie and efficiently captivates the audience within the first few minutes, The problem is that it quickly gets repetitive. The film has a complex and interesting plot, but is too long to remain truly interesting. Despite a great try for being different from all the other ghost films, Haunter fails at his most important task, being scary. There are a few jumpy scenes, but nothing that should get you hiding under your seat.

In the end, Haunter is another ghost story...not a bad one. Those who enjoy the ghost genre should really check it out. The presence of Abigail Breslin (Zombieland, Little Miss Sunshine) is interesting, but I found the mum and the dad to be the true great actors in that film (the dad played in Saw VI and Silent Hill Revelations 3D). Considering that the director, Vincenzo Natali, is the one responsible for both Cube and Splice, two awesome horror/sci-fi flicks, I think this one is a little bit disappointing.

The trailer may leave you with a taste of a Gothic horror, which Haunter is definitely not. Closest resemblance is probably Others, and I'd also name Saint-Ange and Awakening for some similarity in its atmosphere.

I may safely agree with the other reviewer that Haunter is not scary at all, just couple of very primitive boom-based jumpers.

Keep in mind that the Haunter director (Vincenzo Natali) once shoot such gem as Cube, and it shows through all 97 minutes. The movie is claustrophobic and weird,it's cheating you on time and dimensions, and that's the best part. Very solid directing, script and acting yet nothing that can leave you thinking further or wondering.

As soon as you realize that lots of ideas are brought from Cube the Haunter loses on IMDb stars instantly.

Still don't get me wrong, it has its own developments, and I personally liked the way Vincenzo Natali delivers moody look, creative frames, and elaborated sets in a very contrast to minimalistic Cube.

To sum up: a solid 6/10 - not impressive but very fair dish for ghost genre lovers.

"We're stuck in this house and we're never gonna leave, because all of us are..." Lisa (Breslin) is a typical teenager. She lives at home and is annoyed by her family. They eat the same thing every day and watch the same thing every night. Unlike most teenagers the days are repetitive because she is dead and is stuck in a constant cycle with no escape. After hearing voices she tries to contact the world of the living which only causes more problems for everyone. I knew nothing about this going in except for that fact that I was intrigued by Abigail Breslin in a horror movie. The movie started off a little slow and cheesy, setting itself up to be a horror version on Groundhog Day but the longer the movie went on it found its stride and became pretty entertaining. There were enough twists and things you didn't see coming to make it interesting the entire time. I wasn't really that scared watching this but I did have a good time watching it and when it ended I was surprised with how much I did end up liking it. Overall, nothing amazing but a different type of horror movie and because of that I liked it and recommend this. I give this a B.

A new point of view for a simple ghost story that keeps you guessing. 15 minutes into the movie, I thought I had it all figured out and then suddenly, a new twist! A ghost story with a freshness to it. I wouldn't classify it as a horror movie but more of a mystery thriller. Watching the movie creates a bit of 80's nostalgia. It actually made me miss my Atari 2600. The movie is not scary yet it captivates the viewer and okay for kids to watch. I watched it with my teenage sons and 8 year-old daughter and all of us enjoyed it quite a bit. A quick mention for the main character, Abigail Breslin (Lisa)who is a very convincing actress. Reminded me a bit of The Sixth Sense and The Others. Although I didn't love it, I did like it A LOT. Definitely worth the watch!

It's sometime in the 80s. Lisa (Abigail Breslin) turns 16 tomorrow. Only she's been repeating the same day over and over again. Neither her parents or her little brother remember. Yet everyday is the same. That is until somethings start changing.

It's Groundhog Day and a horror movie ... sort of. If it's a horror, there isn't anything scary in it. It is head scratching. Lisa reveals the premise very early on, and then it slowly devolves into something even weirder. There has to be a way to get to a scarier situation. But there is no consequences to being caught. Her situation can't actually be any worse. Certainly the normal fear of death do not apply. And that's what this movie needs. It needs stakes for Lisa to fight for. It needs something that she could lose if she fails. There isn't anything like that here. At least, director Vincenzo Natali didn't set up anything like that.