Thrilling but sombre

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2015)

I think you have to be in the right mood for this movie. It does have some rather protracted scenes and the various plot lines don't come together especially well. Jake Gyllenhaal's character is not given any hinterland which makes it very hard for him to make the role come alive. On the other hand, if you are in the frame of mind for a whole bunch of creepy haunted house sequences and prepared to tolerate some rather nasty scenes, then you may well enjoy the way it develops. It's grey toned and slow but packs a real punch at times, with some edge of your seat moments. Not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination but a worthwhile investment of your time. Interesting that it's set in Pennsylvania but was shot in Georgia.