In 2008, classic horror production company Hammer Films began something of a rebirth, releasing their first movie since their closure in the 1980's. With the likes of Wake Wood, Let Me In, and The Woman in Black, they have gone from strength to strength, proving there is life in the old dog yet. Their latest release is The Quiet Ones, marketed, like so many horror movies it seems lately, as being based on real life events.
Evoking the era and style, the 1970's, of Hammer in its prime, Jared Harris plays a college professor, James Coupland, hellbent on proving the supernatural is only manisfestation is of our negative energy. He experiments on the troubled Jane Harper (Olivia Cooke), hoping to create his own poltergeist, which he will then banish, thus 'curing' her. With the set up out of the way in the opening scenes, the movie wastes no time in whisking Coupland and his team, including Sam Claflin's reluctant camera man Brian, to a deserted house in the middle of the English country, where things get out of hand quite quickly. From the opening frame, there is a sense of dread and foreboding that settles over The Quiet Ones, helped immensely by a wonderful sound mix, all reverberating bass, that keeps on the edge for much of the run time. And it does a lot to make the frankly barmy plot easier to swallow. For much of its first and second act, it plays like a psychological thriller, with the standard horror staples (the creepy house, unexplained noises and events) thrown in, keeping you guessing (albeit not too successfully) on whether it is Coupland is the one with problems and not Jane. Harris is on fine form as the increasingly untrustworthy professor, clearly having a blast. He doesn't exactly chew the scenery, but he is certainly eyeing up the nearest corner to have a quick nibble on. Cooke's Jane is the heart of the movie, and the actress play her role extremely well, playing her many changes in personality a little too well. She plays very well off both Harris and Claflin, who well enough to elevate the standard audience POV role.
The tension is racheted up masterfully by director John Pogue, and while any real scares kept to a minimum, the creepiness that bleeds from the screen is enough to make you feel uneasy, and squirm in your seat. Mixing in a straight forward narrative style with found footage (shot to match grainy camera stock of the 70's) keeps the movie fresh for the most part. They story does drop the ball when explaining what is truly going on, settling on an explanation that goes for the predictable, and it descends into your usual horror fare for the finale. But the immensely creepy final scene pulls it all back, making sure it will stick with you for days.
Choosing atmosphere over scares, The Quiet Ones proves Hammer still has it, delivering an extremely effective horror movie that will stay with you for days.
Evoking the era and style, the 1970's, of Hammer in its prime, Jared Harris plays a college professor, James Coupland, hellbent on proving the supernatural is only manisfestation is of our negative energy. He experiments on the troubled Jane Harper (Olivia Cooke), hoping to create his own poltergeist, which he will then banish, thus 'curing' her. With the set up out of the way in the opening scenes, the movie wastes no time in whisking Coupland and his team, including Sam Claflin's reluctant camera man Brian, to a deserted house in the middle of the English country, where things get out of hand quite quickly. From the opening frame, there is a sense of dread and foreboding that settles over The Quiet Ones, helped immensely by a wonderful sound mix, all reverberating bass, that keeps on the edge for much of the run time. And it does a lot to make the frankly barmy plot easier to swallow. For much of its first and second act, it plays like a psychological thriller, with the standard horror staples (the creepy house, unexplained noises and events) thrown in, keeping you guessing (albeit not too successfully) on whether it is Coupland is the one with problems and not Jane. Harris is on fine form as the increasingly untrustworthy professor, clearly having a blast. He doesn't exactly chew the scenery, but he is certainly eyeing up the nearest corner to have a quick nibble on. Cooke's Jane is the heart of the movie, and the actress play her role extremely well, playing her many changes in personality a little too well. She plays very well off both Harris and Claflin, who well enough to elevate the standard audience POV role.
The tension is racheted up masterfully by director John Pogue, and while any real scares kept to a minimum, the creepiness that bleeds from the screen is enough to make you feel uneasy, and squirm in your seat. Mixing in a straight forward narrative style with found footage (shot to match grainy camera stock of the 70's) keeps the movie fresh for the most part. They story does drop the ball when explaining what is truly going on, settling on an explanation that goes for the predictable, and it descends into your usual horror fare for the finale. But the immensely creepy final scene pulls it all back, making sure it will stick with you for days.
Choosing atmosphere over scares, The Quiet Ones proves Hammer still has it, delivering an extremely effective horror movie that will stay with you for days.
