not "just another ghost story"

Rating: 6/10 (24 February 2008)

To a seasoned American horror fan like myself, the film lacks originality. At first I thought it was a Spanish remake of House on Haunted Hill (1959). The theme of a psychologically unbalanced woman tormented by the ghosts of abused, institutionalized children is hardly new. That said, the film is well worth seeing. It's setting in on the Spanish coast, and its distinctive European rhythm and flavor make the scary parts -- and there are some good ones -- quite delectable. Belen Rueda's acting alone is worth the price of a theater ticket. This is not a film for viewers who do not like or understand how to appreciate horror. Far more than "just another ghost story," this film will leave you jolting at bumps in the night. The tag line for William Castle's 1959 classic applies here ... "see it with someone with warm hands."