Stephen Soderbergh tries to do something new with the haunted house film.
So would I call this film a horror? No
Was it marketed as a horror film? Yes
It is essentially a drama film with supernatural aspects, it is a drama film in so much as it is about a family that is fraying at the scenes and that interpersonal drama takes up a lot of the film’s bandwidth. The supernatural element comes from the fact that their house is haunted, but the ghost does not behave like a typical ghost or poltergeist in these sort of films there is something different about it.
One thing I will say is that the film has a lot of scenes of drugging drinks, which makes for uncomfortable viewing at times. There is a particular scene with a large amount of sexual threat that will stay with you after the credits roll, and is probably the most unpleasant and in a sense scariest thing about the film.
The twist at the end of the film is fairly predictable but does feel satisfying when it is revealed and it does recontextualise a lot of the film in an interesting way that encourages a rewatch.
Overall, a smart if at times a little uncomfortable kind of film.
4/5
Pros
It is smart
It a decent pay off
It is well paced
It focuses on atmosphere
Cons.
The sexual assault theme feels a bit much at times
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