Ultimately unsatisfying

Rating: 5/10 (26 November 2016)

I have been waiting to see this movie for months. I read the book one holiday and found it gripping and haunting. Sadly, the film did not achieve the level of drama that the novel had in abundance. My husband (who has not read the book and knew nothing of the story) was in agreement. So many missed opportunities to look into the minds and emotions of these characters. The acting was fine but far too much of what made the book so fascinating was skimmed over and I'm not sure why..... I was particularly disappointed by the characterisation of 'Old Nick' (mid-cast, I feel, and we see little of his confused and confusing state of mind. Jack's relationship with the objects in the house is skimmed over and the conflicts of the grandparents were simply alluded to rather than properly explored. Perhaps this oversimplification of a complex and gripping story was an attempt to convey what was happening through Jack's eyes? If so, it didn't work for me.