Scary, but could have been better

Rating: 5/10 (3 August 2013)

This film is one of the scariest ghost and demon movies of the last couple of years. There are a number of genuinely frightening moments, and the film is quite original. But the whole is less than the sum of its parts.
The story is said to be based on a true event. Some people apparently believe that. But a claim that a story is based on real events is generally - as it is in this case - just part of the advertising. No one really believes that the Blair Witch Project was real, or that the Amityville Horror was anything other than fiction. But some people have ben taken in by this film.
The possession/ghosts are not clearly distinguished. Just random events. The girls are not given individual characters - except for the eldest, who shows a very 21st century cynicism and cheek. Events are not connected, and most of the frights well telegraphed in advance.
This could have been a much better film, given more professional direction, and a bit more thought.