Haunted (1996)

The film has a potential of Rebecca (1940), and then the special effects kick in. Everything after that is less and less convincing. The production design as well as the cast are superb, but wasted. Cut out all the digital effects and the film is impeccable and beautiful to look at, just like any period piece set in an English manor house, especially during the art deco era. Anthony Andrews, Aidan Quinn and Kate Beckinsale are hot and it's too bad that this hotness didn't amount to anything more substantial than apparitions. And the funny thing about John Gielgud, whenever I see him appear in another movie, I think, "Hey, wasn't he already dead when this was made?!"

A fine attempt to recreate the old-fashioned chills and thrills of a horror movie in the style of THE WOMAN IN BLACK, this adaptation of the James Herbert novel (which I haven't read, incidentally) is a cut above the norm as far as genre horror movies go. The film is slow-burning but always effective, and strong acting from the leads keeps your eyes riveted on the screen. I recently enjoyed THE OTHERS as an example of a fresh and original ghost story, but after watching HAUNTED I'm not so sure THE OTHERS was that original after all.HAUNTED certainly isn't for all tastes. It's a film which prefers to drag you into the world and mind of the lead character before all of the supernatural stuff starts happening, so we get some good build-up like the fake séance which Quinn is only too happy to expose. As David Ash, Quinn is a revelation; he gives a very strong performance of a man gradually becoming more and more disturbed by the seemingly inexplicable events surrounding him. In fact, I've never seen him better, and I would say that his is one of the best genre performances in the past ten years (and I'm beginning to wonder if he and Rutger Hauer share the same set of eyes - they're so alike it's creepy).As the film gradually progresses, the isolated setting of the country estate grows on the viewer and fine use is made of the English countryside. As well as the horror, a charming romance begins to blossom between Quinn and the female lead, Kate Beckinsale. Beckinsale, an actress I've never much cared for, is brilliant in the film, creating a vulnerable but sexy woman with her own dark secrets - as witnessed in the hints of incest that the film points at occasionally. The actual supernatural events involve a door being held shut although nobody is on the other side; then Quinn is mysteriously pushed into the local lake and nearly drowned; finally, weird, spontaneous fires begin to break out and disappear again at a moment's notice. It comes as no surprise that the mansion begins reliving its past, but HAUNTED puts a fresh and interesting spin on the ghost story tale. The special effects are limited and kept to a thankful minimum, but there are some effective touches like faces in the flames and, my personal favourite; an exceedingly frightening ghost made of dust or some such material.The movie is bolstered by a scene-setting score and good performances from the supporting characters as well as the leads. Anthony Andrews is adept at creating a gentlemanly character with a hint of depravity about him, and it's good to see John Gielgud back on screen as the family doctor. Anna Massey is also fine as the lonely, frightened old woman in the family. The film has one of those fantastic twist endings we're so familiar with in recent years, and the final feeling is one of poignancy rather than horror. Yet rarely do I watch a film and finish with a smile on my face after really enjoying getting caught up in the lives and loves of the fictional characters - old-fashioned horror fans, seek this one out.

Haunted is directed by Lewis Gilbert, who co-adapts the screenplay with Bob Kellett and Timothy Prager from the novel written by James Herbert. It stars Aidan Quinn, Kate Beckinsale, Anthony Andrews, Alex Lowe, John Gielgud and Anna Massey. Music is by Debbie Wiseman and cinematography by Tony Pierce-Roberts.Following the accidental death of his twin sister when they were just kids, David Ash (Quinn) has grown up to be a parapsychologist determined to debunk the existence of ghosts. Receiving an invitation from the Mariell family to investigate supernatural activity at their family home, Edbrook House, David accepts and quickly finds his life flipped upside down…It's from the old fashioned school of horror, a period piece of some worth, but not one for anyone looking to be scared out of their wits. Actually the novel by the late great James Herbert was becalmed when judged by his superb standards, so it really will help any potential first time viewer to go into this expecting a more ethereal chiller than anything else.There's an air of romanticism constantly hanging in the air, and with Gilbert nodding towards the likes of The Haunting for his scares and Don't Look Now for the meditation on grief angle, it's a film of mixed blessings. Also nice to see very good period design for the 1920s setting, while Roberts' photography skilfully brings beauty to the English countryside and murkier tones for the inner workings of Edbrook House.Cast are fine, with Quinn and a perky Beckinsale creating good sensual chemistry, and Andrews and Lowe are suitably odd as the clearly off- kilter Mariell brothers. Massey, however, is not challenged by her role and Gilegud is only really filing in for an easy money cameo. It gets away from itself a little in the final stretch, where it's not helped by some shoddy effects work, but there's good value to be had in the picture. With grief, guilt, redemption and incest bubbling away thematically, and the spectral visage of David's dead sister haunting the edges of the frame, film never lacks for literate effort or a sense of unease. The book is much better, mind. 7/10

I remember seeing this film when I was only little, around 6 years old and I always remembered it to be a crappy horror film. Years later when I got it on DVD to re-watch it, I found myself completely wrong. The film is about a supernatural skeptic called David Ash who tries to debunk fake paranormal events. He is summoned to a house called Edbrook where an old lady named Nanny Tess is convinced that her house is haunted by spirits.The film itself is a return to the slightly cliché but still effective ghost themes, with creaking doors, bumps in the night, etc. The film's story and narrative from Frank Herbert's novel is absolutely brilliant and there are enough twists to keep anybody entertained. Aidan Quinn is brilliant in his role, and Kate Beckinsale shines in one of her earliest roles.I feel though that this film has been marginally overlooked and ignored by many and it does deserve a watch for anyone interested in psychological horrors. The film itself is out of distribution but copies are still available as Dutch imports (with English audio). All in all, a fantastic film!