Review: Ghost Stories
By William Pattison
For Horror Bob’s Blog
Gore and Scares everybody! For my review this time I’ve got
the 2017 English art house horror film Ghost Stories.
Ghost Stories tells the story of
paranormal debunker Professor Goodman. Goodman one day gets a message from his
mentor, who he thought was dead, Professor Charles Cameron. Goodman travels across
England and finds his mentor living in a broken down trailer in the middle of
nowhere. Goodman asked Cameron why he went into seclusion and he tells him
because he had found that the paranormal was true and he was living in fear
because of it. Goodman asks him why he didn’t share his findings, but instead
of giving him a straight answer Cameron hands Goodman the files he had of his
last three cases. He tells Goodman to look into these three cases and that will
give him his answers. But as he leaves he sees Professor Cameron watching him
and behind him is a mysterious dark figure he can’t clearly see. So, Goodman takes up the challenge and
investigating these three chilling stories. But what Professor Goodman doesn’t
realize is this investigation is going to twist his ideas of reality.
I have to say I loved this film.
First time filmmakers Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman (who also plays the part of skeptic
Goodman) show they know what they are doing. The story which was created by
Dyson and Nyman as a stage play is complex and full of twists and turns and
clues to the final plot twist that turns the story in a totally new direction.
The film work is incredible for a film that was shot on a shoe-string budget.
The locations where the stories take place are shot with extreme shadows that
make them that much more creepy. The ghost FX and makeup are top notch and not
over the top yet stunning and freak inducing. I have to say the last time a
movie ghost freaked me out like these did was the ghost in the Guillermo Del
Toro classic The Devil’s Backbone. But a great film can’t be great without
wonderful performances and this film has them with the standout performance
being Andy Nyman as Goodman, Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Hobbit) as Mike
Pribble, and Alex Lawther as the frightened teenager Simon Rifkind.
So, if you like a scary film that
keeps you guessing and is loaded with interesting characters then Ghost Stories
just might be the film for you. I know it was for me.
Keep on Creepin’, Horror Bob’s
Blog!
