Adapted from their London stage hit, Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s film is a horror anthology consisting of three creepy tales of supernatural occurrences that are connected by a wraparound narrative involving Philip Goodman (Nyman), a self-styled debunker of fake mediums. In the first, Goodman interviews a belligerent man (Paul Whitehouse) who was visited by an apparition from his tragic past when serving as a security guard at a derelict asylum. The second story introduces Goodman to a near-hysterical young fellow (Alex Lawther), who relates a terrifying car trip through the woods, during which he was attacked by a strange creature. Finally, Goodman talks with a smug, condescending businessman (Martin Freeman), who describes how a poltergeist invaded the nursery that he and his wife prepared for their expected child. Flashbacks reveal what drives Goodman—an unhappy childhood with a rigorous father—and those personal issues come to the fore in the last act as he must relive a traumatic episode from his adolescence. The final twist tying everything together is pretty lame, but the movie does offer some genuinely scary moments and features a good deal of eccentric humor. Ghost Stories is no classic, but it does provide some real chills. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Ghost Stories
Shout! Factory, 98 min., not rated, DVD: $16.99, Blu-ray: $22.99 Volume 33, Issue 6
Ghost Stories
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