A movie which cleverly uses minimalism.

Rating: 8/10 (16 January 2017)

This movie did not promise much but it ended up deserving my congratulations. Traveling out of the body, sleeping or hypnosis, is a rare theme in horror films and has given body to the film in an elegant and solid way. The film does not allow us to have an immediate perception of what is really happening, and this helps to lengthen the suspense and mystery around it, which gradually becomes more intense, grabbing the audience. James Wan, the director, made his reputation with the "Saw" franchise, which I do not appreciate for being too graphic. Apparently, this director is truly capable of doing horror without resorting to liters of false blood. Lin Shaye is the most notable actress in the film, with a strong presence and a charisma built on experience and talent, but Patrick Wilson, in the role of Josh, was also at ease and made a good performance, in harmony with Rose Byrne. The film has an interesting ending, although without the intensity that we could be expecting. Another thing I find pleasant is the use of cinematic solutions that are alternative to the avalanche of special effects that we are used to, as it was done for the evil entity or when it was decided to show "The Further" as a dark and misty place. The sound effects, a classic haunted house setting and a purposefully gray cinematography do the rest and make this movie worth remembering. Refined and elegant, the film still uses some usual clichés in the horror and haunting films, but does so in the right way and so convincingly that it ends up being another plus point in this great quality film.