A well-done "homage" to Poltergeist

Rating: 6/10 (14 July 2013)

Homage or ripoff, you decide. But it owes a great deal to Poltergeist, from its suburban setting to the strained domestic situation between the two leads, Rose Bryne (always believable) and Patrick Wilson (dependable, as well).
The big difference is the location of the haunting, which was pretty clever. As this was a low-budget film, the writer and director couldn't cover up story holes with more CG. The scares as sharp and surprising, making nice use of silence, the shadows, and the supporting actors, who do a good job of conveying reality to some pretty unrealistic situations. Fairly eerie make-up, too.
Only two failings, and one was budgetary: when the spirits put in a final appearance at the end, they looked far too solid --- again, no money for fancy CGI. But the other was a real failure of writing, that is, the "twist" ending. Most of us watching horror films know there is going to be a twist, and we're expecting it. Part of the beauty of a twist ending is that you are surprised. But since it's now considered a requirement, then is no surprise, no matter how allegedly clever the "twist."