If I was to ever be the star of a ghost story it would be the shortest story in history, because the minute I heard an eerie noise or noticed the room getting colder, I would get the hell out of dodge. Thankfully this doesn't happen in movies as it would be a waste of a ticket. Now that that thinly veiled attempt to gloss over the fact that I had no real introduction to this review is out of the way, lets talk about The Pact.
Returning to her childhood home for her mother's funeral, Annie (Caity Lotz) discovers a ghostly presence inhabits the house. Already responsible for the disappearance of her sister, it begins to terrorise Annie. Enlisting the help of a detective (Casper Van Dien) and a medium (Haley Hudson), Annie is determined to get to the bottom of what is happening.
Making his feature film debut, writer/director Nicholas McCarthy has, for the most part, put together a solid little horror movie, one dripping with atmosphere thanks to a very raw look compared to other, more polished Hollywood horrors. Cheap scares are kept to a minimum, and the tension and suspense is built nicely from scene one. The first glimpses of the ghost are limited to the odd shadow, and a wonderful slow zoom P.O.V. shot. Our, and Annie's, first real encounter with the ghost is expertly done, featuring a great shot of Annie being picked up and thrown across the room. Unfortunately, it's after this scene that the movie begins to fall, and the plot advances forward. The overall story borders on the ridiculous, and the more plot details are revealed, the more the ghost story aspect is forgotten, becoming almost an afterthought by the end. Also, in what is a trend I am starting to see emerge, the intrusive and ominous score becomes overbearing, the musical equivalent of someone shouting 'something bad is about to happen' into a mega phone. The fact that it continues to blare as the bad things are happening, makes it even more annoying.
Caity Lotz proves to be a very likable protagonist, making Annie more than a spectator to the strange goings on, and Van Dien plays his role well, for what little he's called to do. But the standout is Hudson as spaced out medium Stevie. She is extremely memorable, and really throws herself into the role.
The Pact has it's flaws, but despite these, it does prove to be a solid and enjoyable horror movie.
Returning to her childhood home for her mother's funeral, Annie (Caity Lotz) discovers a ghostly presence inhabits the house. Already responsible for the disappearance of her sister, it begins to terrorise Annie. Enlisting the help of a detective (Casper Van Dien) and a medium (Haley Hudson), Annie is determined to get to the bottom of what is happening.
Making his feature film debut, writer/director Nicholas McCarthy has, for the most part, put together a solid little horror movie, one dripping with atmosphere thanks to a very raw look compared to other, more polished Hollywood horrors. Cheap scares are kept to a minimum, and the tension and suspense is built nicely from scene one. The first glimpses of the ghost are limited to the odd shadow, and a wonderful slow zoom P.O.V. shot. Our, and Annie's, first real encounter with the ghost is expertly done, featuring a great shot of Annie being picked up and thrown across the room. Unfortunately, it's after this scene that the movie begins to fall, and the plot advances forward. The overall story borders on the ridiculous, and the more plot details are revealed, the more the ghost story aspect is forgotten, becoming almost an afterthought by the end. Also, in what is a trend I am starting to see emerge, the intrusive and ominous score becomes overbearing, the musical equivalent of someone shouting 'something bad is about to happen' into a mega phone. The fact that it continues to blare as the bad things are happening, makes it even more annoying.
Caity Lotz proves to be a very likable protagonist, making Annie more than a spectator to the strange goings on, and Van Dien plays his role well, for what little he's called to do. But the standout is Hudson as spaced out medium Stevie. She is extremely memorable, and really throws herself into the role.
The Pact has it's flaws, but despite these, it does prove to be a solid and enjoyable horror movie.
