User reviews

Trite, obvious, and overblown, with episodes that often seen unfinished drafts accompanied by irrelevant insect closeups. High ratings either a joke or scam. Might frighten a 5-year old.

Bad acting, horrendous scriptwriting, stories that go nowhere, characters that behave very unbelievably and irrationally, pathetic special effects. It really is one of the worse films I've ever seen.

Not scary, not funny at all. I sat through the whole of the movie and wished I hadn't.

So why do I give it three stars instead of just one? There's a few bits of decent cinematography and a couple of the actors put on a good performance despite the terrible scripts.

Couldnt even say this is a bad film, that implies a base level of filmaking this joke doesnt get near. It looks like somebody got their first camera, filmed their friends in their flat for a couple of hours and added some stock sounds effects. The ten star reviews are clearly the work of people involved in the film and probably took more effort than the filming.

I would guess this could have been the inspiration for Garth's Marenghi's Darkplace, except the latter was made 14 years prior to this. Psychomanteum isn't in that kind of league, however. One of the first problems I had to deal with was the sound. The audio quality on all components is so poor that I found it unwatchable without closed-caption subtitles. Then the between-story narration is a disaster: I suspect the narrator didn't bother to do read-through before being recorded. And for most of the pieces within, the scripts, acting, and visuals are all so appalling that one assumes they were made by students. But not film students, however. I'm guessing they were made by high schoolers or adult education students that were given some camera equipment for a few weeks. The most successful thing about them is that they were handed in completed.

I have to admit, however, that there are a few exceptions: The Language of Birds was highly stylized and strange, but actually good. I also enjoyed the sex-change story, although I don't think it was made all that well. And, the priest-in-the-water story was a clever idea, if not marvelously executed. If I hadn't dozed off part way through it I might have enjoyed this one more.

Overall, bad, but not quite the deliberate or good kind of bad. Do check out Garth Marenghi, though: That's the way it should be done.

I think most the people that rated this, were people that played a part in making it.

This is my first review on this site. But what did i just watch. I can concur with the reviews above that this movie does look like it was made by 16 year old movie students.

Caught this at a film festival in Madrid and was thankfully really glad I made up my mind the night before to get my head down early so as to ensure I made the ten am screening. None of the directors showed up which was disappointing considering what a surprise this film was, questions questions questions? Consisting of eight or nine (?) short psychological horror films that varied radically from one another connected by a creepy narration which was highly disconcerting "Psychomanteum" is one of those very rare beasts, a horror film that challenges its audience to think. Pay close attention if you don't want to miss a sudden plot change which veer from the mundane to the incredible within minutes, rolling like waves that are comfortable to become deeply unsettling. I recommend this highly, unique and unusual anthology film, see it before you read about it, for it will always be with you! Oh...loved the score/soundtrack too.

I suppose the good thing about having a compilation of several mini films is that you have a lot of cast, crew and family/friends to leave fake ten star reviews! Looks like it was made by 16 year old art students and not particularly talented ones either.

The 10's are clearly from friends and family or the filmmakers themselves. The acting and plots are all terrible and some of the most appalling VFX I have ever seen.

Way worse than the worst student project I've ever witnessed.

Save yourself while you still can :)

I'm not really a fan of anthologies, especially in the Horror Genre as they tend to be too dark for my taste (I need a little light and humor mixed in with all the darkness.)

And while some of the stories found here might have been better served in a Sci Fi Anthology, I thought the struck a good balance between dark and light, serious and humorous, with the shorts they included.

Note: Stars are given based on my personal enjoyment of the film and plot.

7 - Interesting story, but there were some plot inconsistencies that brought down the overall score. I might watch it again eventually.

I had to shut it off. I was looking forward to watching this because of some of the good reviews but the filmmaker blew it. The first minute or so of the film is this horrific loud piercing noise, the kind that induces seizures. If it didn't bother you, you're very lucky. I don't know if there are any other points in the movie where the filmmaker chose to be foolhardy and dangerous.

Psychomanteum (perhaps not the most memorable or easily searchable name) stands out and above all recent lacklustre anthology films since it avoids cliches to deliver original and seriously messed up stories that are weird and memorable. The interlinking narrative piece reminded me of "This Unnameable Little Broom" by the Brothers Quay, no it's not animated, but it does have the same mad, frenzied energy that left me with a haunting takeaway. OK a couple of the short films are weaker because they end before they really get going but there are more than enough multiple award winning stand out films to justify the price of viewing, which at under a dollar is a steal and free if your an Amazon Prime member.

A disturbing series of dystopian vignettes. Dark, chilling and thought provoking with some light relief in an ironic parody of gender switching.

Well, sure it isn't Oscar material here, but it most definitely deserves prizes for originality and for what the movie is supposed to be, it is surely not deserving anything less than a seven as it ticks all the boxes a low budget anthology movie should do. I have seen several 1-3 star reviews, what's up with that? I mean seriously? Have these people even watched the same movie? It's budget is clearly low, shock horror it's not a Hollywood budgeted scale movie, but u have tones of absolute garbage movies here on IMDB being rated 9 and 10's deceiving people and on the opposite end, you have OK movies like this one being rated 1 and 2's, like the sound is fine no "piercing noise" at the start, what? OK the occasional short brings its total score down but in a film like this I expect to find no more than two or three really good shorts and on this it easily delivers so I give it a solid 7 out of 10 if u compare it with the likes of another recent horror anthology movie Ghost Stories and yet, people are just throwing 1 and 2's like if this was some sort of sharknado B horror movie, Jesus people, rate movies seriously, what is wrong with u people these days???

With unusual stories and unpredictable endings that you don't see coming, I really love this film for its originality and put Psychomanteum firmly in the hallowed company of my other favourite recent horror anthology films, alongside the likes of "Creepshow", "Southbound" and "Three...Extremes", which you also really should see if you missed them. Really nothing at all like the trashy anthology films of the 1970s and 80s, similar in format, but the caparisons stop there.

Dir. Brady proves that it don't take a bid budget to scare the @%*+! ! ! out of you.

If you like horror this is for you. Great cinematography quirky and original

Great movie, different and gripping. Intriguing storylines with great acting and sublime work by the director.

This film reminded me of cult classics Eraserhead, & Kwaidan.

This movie was great. I loved all the scenarios that were incorporated. I loved that each short was unique and interesting. I laughed so hard after I was scared. It offers a few points we as a society can relate to. The filming was great. If you like movies that offer suspense and comedy at the same time this is a must watch movie. Then you can watch it again to see what you missed the first time you watched it. I've watched it 5 times.

This was a great film , every story was unique in itself. I laughed so hard throughout the movie. It was suspenseful throughout. I can't wait to see the next movie.

Terrible! Do not waste your time like I did!!!!! I feel cheated by all the ten star reviews. I won't be trusting IMDB reviews again!

As a massive horror fan this was a welcome find on a lazy afternoon. I won't give too much away, but if you are into proper suspense, something that actually has a message and is not just simply made of $1000000 chucked at it, well this is something you should watch. As someone else has mentioned, a couple of the stories may be ended too soon. But it is forgivable. I think I may have to watch it again, there is so much packed in it!