An atmospheric ghost story

Rating: 6/10 (21 July 2012)

At last an atmospheric ghost story set in a haunted house with an unrealistic back story and creepy villagers! It is frankly a pleasure to watch a semi-intelligent ghost story without the pointless gore or the shaky hand-cam style. I am personally delighted that Hammer have returned to what they do best! The setting is so stereotypical of a ghost story it practically becomes a character in the film. And this is by no means a negative thing. The house is suitably isolated by geographic location, fog and the tide. The nearest village is filled with unwelcoming locals and strange tragedies. And the story is set in a time before modern cynicism. Saying that, it is not without its faults. Radcliff tries but it is difficult to accept him as a grieving widower and father. The story is at times too stereotypical and predictable. However, I am welcoming the return of a genre that the British film industry do so well. I hope to see many more.