Are we returning to good old fashioned horror stories finally?

Rating: 7/10 (23 January 2008)

This movie has already been compared to way too many classic and well-known contemporary horror films. That's because it's a classic story. A woman moves into the haunted house of her memories, discovers ghosts and a mystery, starts working it all out while a cynical husband states that it can't be real, and eventually resolves the pained past of what causes the haunting in the first place, thus leading to transcendence. There are creepy children, bumps in the night, and an old woman with shady motivations. It literally couldn't go wrong.
And it doesn't. J.A. Bayona gets the help of famed Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro to float, move, and explore his way through dusty rooms, hidden basements, and creepy hallways. Belen Rueda plays a caring, compassionate mother who only wants to protect her son, though she makes mistakes that sometimes a mother makes. Creepy ghost children play hide-and-seek and treasure-hunt games, ultimately leading to a compelling twist. This movie is carefully designed and even holds a few surprises.
Whereas it may not be the most original movie out there, it certainly has its place for an audience craving a good old fashioned horror movie themed around something other than idiots trapped in a room full of intricate torture devices. It's a very nice return to form, and it's probably something you should see before the grubby Hollywood execs put their dirty paws on it and turn it into a CUTITSACAT! glurge-o-mania.
--PolarisDiB