Haunted (1996)

Truly Dreadful Film

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Stated as a horror and someways it is but it isn't going to be a horror for everyone. There's no gore or blood to see, this is just a pure ghostly flick that is slowly revealing what is going on. Some effects are a bit cheaply done (CGI) and others are done by fastening images. The story do involves a professor (Aidan Quinn) who doesn't believe in ghosts and meditations and likes to face people that it's all pranks being put up. But once invited at the Mariell family he becomes involved in a web of ghosts and a girl (Kate Beckinsale) who seduces him and isn't shy to show her body. i was rather surprised to see Kate in her nudies. It's a slow mover with a strange family made for people who are into old school sixties ghost flicks just on the edge of a Gothic flick. For me just a bit too much of a love story involved. Gore 0/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 0/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5

A fine attempt to recreate the old-fashioned chills and thrills of a horror movie in the style of THE WOMAN IN BLACK, this adaptation of the James Herbert novel (which I haven't read, incidentally) is a cut above the norm as far as genre horror movies go. The film is slow-burning but always effective, and strong acting from the leads keeps your eyes riveted on the screen. I recently enjoyed THE OTHERS as an example of a fresh and original ghost story, but after watching HAUNTED I'm not so sure THE OTHERS was that original after all.HAUNTED certainly isn't for all tastes. It's a film which prefers to drag you into the world and mind of the lead character before all of the supernatural stuff starts happening, so we get some good build-up like the fake séance which Quinn is only too happy to expose. As David Ash, Quinn is a revelation; he gives a very strong performance of a man gradually becoming more and more disturbed by the seemingly inexplicable events surrounding him. In fact, I've never seen him better, and I would say that his is one of the best genre performances in the past ten years (and I'm beginning to wonder if he and Rutger Hauer share the same set of eyes - they're so alike it's creepy).As the film gradually progresses, the isolated setting of the country estate grows on the viewer and fine use is made of the English countryside. As well as the horror, a charming romance begins to blossom between Quinn and the female lead, Kate Beckinsale. Beckinsale, an actress I've never much cared for, is brilliant in the film, creating a vulnerable but sexy woman with her own dark secrets - as witnessed in the hints of incest that the film points at occasionally. The actual supernatural events involve a door being held shut although nobody is on the other side; then Quinn is mysteriously pushed into the local lake and nearly drowned; finally, weird, spontaneous fires begin to break out and disappear again at a moment's notice. It comes as no surprise that the mansion begins reliving its past, but HAUNTED puts a fresh and interesting spin on the ghost story tale. The special effects are limited and kept to a thankful minimum, but there are some effective touches like faces in the flames and, my personal favourite; an exceedingly frightening ghost made of dust or some such material.The movie is bolstered by a scene-setting score and good performances from the supporting characters as well as the leads. Anthony Andrews is adept at creating a gentlemanly character with a hint of depravity about him, and it's good to see John Gielgud back on screen as the family doctor. Anna Massey is also fine as the lonely, frightened old woman in the family. The film has one of those fantastic twist endings we're so familiar with in recent years, and the final feeling is one of poignancy rather than horror. Yet rarely do I watch a film and finish with a smile on my face after really enjoying getting caught up in the lives and loves of the fictional characters - old-fashioned horror fans, seek this one out.

Good acting in a tired and predictable story. Great performance from Aiden Quinn, invited to a Gothic manor to investigate supposed ghosts lurking within. A hokey attempt to sex-up the story with an incestuous triangle between Kate Beckinsale and her two brothers. The story, set in the 1920's, has all the appearance of the wholesome, lackluster British family movies made in the 1950's. You almost expect Heidi to come tripping over the lush green hills. Recommended as one of the spookier movies around, the performances are all good, by actors who know their craft, but the movie is directed like a Hallmark Hall of Fame love story, devoid of any tension and wholly derivative in its execution. A complete lack of pacing that leads to a conclusion you can see coming a mile away. Tired and predictable are the words that apply. A shame as the actors could have done so much more with a more innovative director. A waste of good talent looking for direction.

I remember seeing this film when I was only little, around 6 years old and I always remembered it to be a crappy horror film. Years later when I got it on DVD to re-watch it, I found myself completely wrong. The film is about a supernatural skeptic called David Ash who tries to debunk fake paranormal events. He is summoned to a house called Edbrook where an old lady named Nanny Tess is convinced that her house is haunted by spirits.The film itself is a return to the slightly cliché but still effective ghost themes, with creaking doors, bumps in the night, etc. The film's story and narrative from Frank Herbert's novel is absolutely brilliant and there are enough twists to keep anybody entertained. Aidan Quinn is brilliant in his role, and Kate Beckinsale shines in one of her earliest roles.I feel though that this film has been marginally overlooked and ignored by many and it does deserve a watch for anyone interested in psychological horrors. The film itself is out of distribution but copies are still available as Dutch imports (with English audio). All in all, a fantastic film!