Muirhouse

I shouldn't even waste my time with a review. Nothing happens. Guy walks around breathing heavy and a ghost turns off the lights and moves some furniture. Absolute disgrace to found footage films

This one completely slipped my notice multiple times, and I had no interest but boredom when I put it on. It proceeded to take an ungodly amount of time to get to the actual story, but somehow managed to keep me intrigued with a litany of seemingly loosely related snippets involving Muirhouse talking about ghost hunting and what he does, discussing it on a radio show or via interviews.

Then we begin with him going into a haunted house with his setup of cameras, and he almost immediately starts getting the spooky ghosty encounters.

The way they were executed and filmed was sublime in its subtlety, and at most points is ambivalent enough to be unclear if it actually is a spooky ghost or a home invader seeking solely to scare and harass him as he ghost hunts.

The "jump scare" moments are fairly typical but also incredibly creepy given the "found footage" realism-style it was going for.

But once it reaches a long, extended sequence of quiet dread, in which you're left looking over every inch of the screen for any sign of something anomalous while Muirhouse is just staring around, waiting to hear something pounding upstairs or a door slamming again, it abruptly goes all-in with its ghostly climax...

And then it just suddenly ends.

I'm someone who absolutely loves certain things, and in particular found footage horror/sci fi movies, even if they're terrible. If they manage to become genuinely exciting or compelling, I often prefer them to not be overly long or indulgent for fear of spoiling the experience.

This film went the complete other way, ending too soon after having done too little.

This is a bit of a game changer for the found footage genre

Firstly - The cameras do not wobble to distraction and the sound is excellent. Secondly - the story unfolds logically and you can actually understand it. and thirdly - it is actually suspenseful.

What unfolds is a plot you piece together in your own mind. (Harking back to the genre grand momma 'The Blair Witch Project'.)

It is made up of witness shots, ghost society pictures, police tapes, press kit footage and surveillance cameras.

It's about a 'ghost house reviewer'. And the circumstances which lead to him breaking the golden rule of 'Ghost hunting.' - "Never attempt paranormal contact alone."

Sure enough he ends up all alone in the most haunted house in Australia. Historical back stories believed to have occurred in the historical country house inform the ghost house reviewers paranoia.

But the first time we meet him, it as he is slammed on the bonnet of a police car after being found staggering around on a country highway holding a bloody mallet. Police audio reports 3 people have been found dead.

Muirhouse is the story of what lead up to this. And perhaps what to expect afterward if you ever visit the real house. It was all filmed apparently in the house which is rumored to be Australia's most haunted residence.

Whilst it was probably made for less than the likes of 'Quarantine', 'Cloverfield' and 'Chronicle' this one certainly gives any film with the title 'Paranormal Activity' (and a numeral after it) a run for their money.

Needs a TON of editing to get rid of long, boring stretches of "Hey, look at all this stuff we did to make this seem like it really happened!" Things like driving, complete interviews, multiple intro recordings, equipment setup - we don't need to see ALL of it. We don't WANT to see all of it. I kept feeling as he was setting up equipment that maybe I was missing something, but nope, it was just overlong footage of him setting up equipment. If I'm wrong, let me know, because that would make this thing much more entertaining.

I'm not sure sitting through this whole thing is worth the payoff, although I did find the "good" parts good.

I've watched Muirhouse twice and both times I really enjoy the set-up and the house is great. Then you hear some bumps and doors opening by themselves, furniture moving...it's all VERY creepy.

But that's ALL that happens. He's downstairs and here's a thud upstairs. "Who's there?" he yells as he runs upstairs. Then a door slams downstairs. Then a piano pings. Then there's another thud.

And so on and on and on. It's like a pinball, bouncing off each room and noise, all the while panting and gasping for air. And that's it. Then it ends.

Not sure what they were thinking since it clearly has some scares....just no plot.