In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Friday 5 June 2015

Poltergeist (2015)

Relatively green Gil Kenan directs this remake of the 1982 horror classic about a family accosted by angry spirits in their new home. This time the story is more contained, leaving out a sense of community and focusing entirely on the family. Minor tweaks to the original story are expected, but certain elements are retained such as the twisted tree outside the home and a creepy clown doll to serve as foreshadowing. The Heather O' Rourke look-a-like, Kennedi Clements does a decent job, but the real lead-in to the paranormal events belongs to the brother (Kyle Catlett). Despite some truly disturbing visuals in the latter half and Sam Rockwell delivering just the right amount of humor, the film lacks impact. Tight pacing never allows for frightening events to sink in too deeply and bad lighting choices add to its mediocrity. It's an enjoyable film, but hardly a lasting entry in the horror genre like the original.

3 battle scars out of 5

1 comment:

cuckoo said...

Just caught this on TV.

This Nut is spot on.

Can't recommend it but see no reason to deter anyone from seeing it either.

3 angry glory holes out of 5