Almost an excellent example of what horror films should be

Rating: 7/10 (28 August 2015)

Almost an excellent example of what horror films should be. A plot with actual reason behind the spooky/scary happenings and which actually gives some context to the characters' motives - not usual in the horror genre which commonly puts sod all effort into character & plot development and everything into 'ooo how can we get the audience to jump next?'.
I don't feel the supernatural element was needed in all fairness. I think it would have worked better as a simple serial-killer story. That being said at least in the main the supernatural stuff was done properly.
My main gripe (once again) is the protagonist's sheer stubbornness to leave the property where they're having all the problems. OK, I get he's an ambitious writer who thinks he's on to something big and about to finally catch his big story, but after maybe the third incident any sane person would either leave or bring in the police. But like virtually all horror films Ethan Hawke persists long after any normal person would and time after time I find myself saying 'oh come on, by now you'd definitely leave'! 'surely he's gonna leave now'?.
Oh, and the other issue (although not quite as bad in this) is the characters' reluctance to turn lights on! You hear a noise in the living room, you'd turn the bloody light on! Just because it's a horror film doesn't mean every scene has to be pitch black - and if it is going to be, at least give it a reason to be, rather than turning the characters into idiots!