Ghost movie review: Haunted
So, New Year’s Eve, and I found myself alone in the house. I ask you, what better way to ring in the new year than to immerse oneself in a ghost movie? Maybe the ghost can be a metaphor for the death of the old year.
Or maybe that’s reaching.
At any rate, I rented Haunted, a 1995 movie with a starring cast including Sir John Gielgud, Kate Beckinsale, and Aidan Quinn. Professor Ash, a ghost debunker, journeys to the country estate Edbrook at the request of a troubled housekeeper who begs him to rid the mansion of ghosts. Once the professor arrives, however, the housekeeper grows more troubled and cannot even tell him who the ghosts are or what they want. To find answers, David Ash lays his ghost traps and involves himself in the lives of the estate’s heirs—controlling brother Robert, impish brother Simon, and the alluring sister Christina.
David Ash has his own past, a past that haunts him. (And how great a name is Ash for a story of death and ghosts?) He blames himself for the accidental death of his twin when they were children. He is drawn to the close-knit siblings of the manor and soon finds himself falling for beautiful, mysterious Christina. All these elements play into the dark psychological tale that director Lewis Gilbert develops.
And here is what I loved most about this movie.
Unlike modern ghost movies (Haunted was produced in 1995 and based on a 1988 book by James Herbert) that devolve into a monster fest, Haunted remains an old fashioned ghost tale (albeit one with a twisted psychology) that chills and awakens rather than deadening the viewer with demonic rage, projectile vomit, and overblown special effects. Also fun is the period set piece. Haunted takes place in the 1930’s (oh, the luscious costumes!) with occasional flashbacks to 1905.
So, a movie from the past about the past. What better way to look to the future?
As you have probably guessed, I recommend this movie. Watch it today and bid adieu to the ghost of 2013. Incidentally, author James Herbert died in March, in the thirteenth year of this century….
2 thoughts on “Ghost movie review: Haunted”
Hi, I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to locate this film for streaming. A ghost story aficionado I’m acquainted with has it on her top 13 ghost stories of all time list so I’m glad to find another recommendation before I break down and buy it.
I’m fussy about ghost stories too, disdaining splatter and gore; I prefer suspense and surprise. I recently saw a film you might enjoy, The Awakening (2012). It’s a British Gothic horror set in the early 1900s about a woman who debunks charlatan mediums who is called on to investigate the haunting of a boys’ boarding school, sort of a Downton Abbey with ghosts. It’s spooky with many surprises. It’s available for streaming on Netflix.
Hi Joanna,
It can be frustrating getting movies via streaming as many of them are not available that way. An alternative to buying Haunted is to rent it from a video store–usually around $3 or $4. That’s how I located this movie. Thank you so much for the recommendation of The Awakening! I’m putting it on my to be viewed list right now. It doesn’t hurt that I loved Downton Abbey. I love psychic elements, too. Have you seen The Gift? That’s one of my faves with a psychic/ghost element.