Haunter

I honestly was skeptical when I first heard about this movie.As a lover of indie films,i assumed it would be very low budget and have a odd plot to it. I'm glad i decided to actually watch it.Haunter takes your typical ghost story and does a complete refreshing twist to it.I did get lost a few times,but quickly caught back up on what was going on.The acting was incredibly good for a indie film,and the story was super engaging.I was always on the edge of my chair the whole movie.I highly recommend everyone to at least rent this movie and give it a chance if you're a fan of the thriller genre.I really most certainly be checking out the directors other movies as well seeing how I loved splice as well.This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors

Interesting chiller mystery starts off strong but gradually becomes more and more predictable. Ghost story movies can be a tad repetitive. However, this movie starts out cleverly with a sort of ghost version of Groundhog Day, where Abigail Breslin's family relives the same day over & over, with her the only one who seems to know that they are dead. This plays out for awhile and is pretty intriguing stuff, with decent jumps and spooky moments. Then Stephen McHattie's character enters the story and from there the momentum begins to wane and the mystery becomes a lot less intriguing. If you've seen any of the dozens of ghost stories about a (usually female) ghost trapped because of what some evil man did to them, you will feel a sense of familiarity begin to come over you as you watch. Still, it's got enough interesting things going for it to recommend you check it out. Breslin is a talented young actress and she holds the movie on her shoulders quite well. McHattie is sufficiently creepy in a rather transparent role. Give it a shot if you like supernatural thrillers.

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.

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.

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.