Thoughts About Haunted

Could it be? An intelligent ghost story? I almost didn’t queue up Haunted. It’s not old enough to be a classic, yet at the same time not young enough to really take advantage of the more advanced cinematography tricks that have been prevalent the past ten years or so. In short, I didn’t have high expectations going in. I was pleasantly surprised.

Set in England ten years before the second world war, Professor Aidan Quinn is summoned to investigate a claim from an aging woman that ghosts are holding her hostage within her estate. The good professor — who (of course) doesn’t put any weight into any idea of the supernatural — becomes compelled to investigate and that is when the story unfolds.

Without saying too more about the plot points or characters, I can see where a lot of more modern horror movies lifted ideas from Haunted. At the movies end I could count at least three other movies I had thought original, now revealed to have ‘borrowed’ elements from its plot. Whether or not Haunted held these devices first, I don’t know, but it was produced before the others so its seniority would suggest it.

Kate Beckinsale does a great job with her role, as always, and comes across as beautiful as she does creepy. Her character has just an hint of something ‘off’ about her, though I wasn’t able to quite place her role in the whole affair until the movie’s end. And that is a good thing.

The Haunting is by no means a masterpiece, or even destined to become a classic. I would even say it’s more mystery than ghost story. But what it is, an intriguing story that makes you care about the protagonist and keeps your interested till the end. The final score: 7/10.

This will all make sense if you take my hand...