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| The Haunting In Connecticut |
| Director: Peter Cornwell Writer: Tim Metcalfe and Adam Simon Staring: Kyle Gallner, Virginia Madsen, Elias Koteas, Tim Metcalfe, Martin Donovan Released: 3/27/2009 Rating: PG-13 Studio: Gold Circle Films and Lions Gate Web Site: www.hauntinginconnecticut.com |
| A good haunting movie doesn’t come around often. So many are killed by CGI, poor story, bad acting, and/or lame monsters. None of which affect this movie. This film is nice and creepy and done very effectively. One thing that surprised me was the whole possession angle. Now I am generally not a fan of possession stories but it is done in a way here that is very intriguing. No talking fingers, or funny voices. This film creates an eerie atmosphere from the start and it doesn’t let go until it’s dramatic end. A Haunting in Connecticut follows one family's real-life encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. The Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, forced to relocate near a clinic where their teenage son was being treated for cancer. Kyle Gallner dose an amazing job as the cancer ridden son, Matt. His eyes have a way of showing his pain, and latter, his haunted changing behavior. His strength and personality make him an endearing character. The film moves at a good pace and it quickly becomes evident that their new home has a disturbing history. Yes, that’s right, it’s a transformed funeral parlor where strange events have occurred. The ghosts in this film are the kind that hide in the shadows and make a few pop ups for some good “jump” moments. Matt’s “possession” is more the ability to see what a spirit wants him to see. So a lot of the story’s key points come in flash back form. That is until his sister, Wendy, takes an interest and dose some digging for the home’s history. I loved this scene because it reminded me of an 80’s training montage. However this did not ruin the great creepy atmosphere. Which by the way, was made even better by the movies eerie score by Robert J. Kral. The other major character is a Reverend, played well by Elias Koates, who also has cancer. He believes that being close to death makes one able to connect with the other side. He believes Matt’s tale completely and takes him under his wing. But when he comes to the house to help things go from bad to worse. The one person I didn’t like in this film was the dad. He just seemed out of place and awkward. Mainly because is screen time was maybe ten minutes. The mom (Virginia Madsen) did well as voice of reason and was of course the last to have any ghostly experiences. All the performances did a great job at driving the story and making you care what happens. The Haunting in Connecticut is a simple ghost story done right. It takes inspiration from great films of the past, takes it bit father, and adds new elements to make the recipe perfect. This movie shows that you don’t need much to scare people you just need to do it right. Great story, great acting, great visuals, and bam you‘ve got a great picture. I highly recommend this film to anybody who likes that edge of your seat creep. I know this will be a “must watch every Halloween” movie in my house. Reviewed by: Jack |