There are a
number of technical aspects which are competently made within Haunt, but they are so far removed from
the logic of the film and its storyline that this film feels more like the
ghost of better haunted house films than an original story of its own. The
biggest problem is a complete lack of character development, not to mention the
missing cohesion between the cast members meant to be a family. There is no
feeling of connection between the family members, mostly because the characters
don’t feel developed enough to matter to each other. This film is far more
interested in well-photographed eerie and foreboding images, and a few
special-effects driven scares enhanced by a noisy soundtrack. In other words,
this is like a dozen other haunted house films, instantly forgettable for
having nothing to set it apart.
The Asher family
moves into a remote house that is said to be haunted, but parents Emily and
Alan (Ione Skye and Brian Wimmer) don’t believe in ghosts and scoff at the dangers
that their children are quicker to believe. Only son Evan (Harrison Gilbertson)
meets a young teen named Sam (Liana Liberato) escaping from an abusive home,
who encourages him to investigate the paranormal activity in the home. Sam
conveniently knows where to find a device which allows them to speak to the
dead, inviting some generic haunting and possession sequences. Some of the
twists are easily predictable, and others are just so generic that they don’t
even feel like twists.
Even the
expected moments of horror are too far apart within this convoluted film to be
effective. There are certainly a few horrific images created fro the film, but
they never interact with the story, characters or screenplay in a way that is
cohesive or coherent. All of the elements of the film are individually
competent, but director Mac Carter is unable to make them work together. The
DVD includes a commentary track with Carter. There are also a number of
behind-the-scenes featurettes, including one for the visual effects in the
film. Also included are cast/crew interviews and the Morello case file videos
and home movies.
Entertainment Value:
3.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
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