Old Timey Story And Style

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2014)

In this Haunted (Old School) House of a Movie, Director James Wan Forgoes Digital and Splatter to Deliver one of the Most Popular Horror Movies of Recent Years. Sometimes the Old Way is the Best Way to Unleash the Unclean on a Family Haunted by Their New Home in the Country.
If this Sounds a lot like Amityville, it is. The Story and the Movie. Also, it was Real-Life Paranormal Investigators, The Warrens, who were on hand at Amityville (the real case not the movie) and also Investigated this one "based on a true story". In this Movie they are Portrayed on Screen and are, along with the Family, a Central Force to the Story.
It is a pretty much Familiar and Fantastic Tale of Demonic Possession and Clinging Evil Spirits. But it is Handled in such a No Nonsense Cinematic Way that Lends some of the Scariness. There are No Distractions of Bloody Dismemberments and Severed Limbs to at once Call Attention to the Fact that this is a Movie Designed to Spill Gore and Pile Up the Bodies.
Stylish, but not to the Point of Indulgence, this is a Well Acted, Multi-Layered Ghost Story that is Intelligent and Engaging. It has a You are There Feel Rather than a You are Watching. Mostly it is Understated and Chilling, Engrossing and not too Gross, but it Pulls You In by the Ankles and won't Let Go. Yes, it is All a bit Shopworn, However there is Enough Life Left in the Dead to Scare Horror Movie Fans all Over Again.