Director: Tom Elkins
Starring: Abigail Spencer, Emily Alyn Lind, Katee Sackhoff, Chad Michael Murray
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Extras: The True Story Of The Wyricks, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes
I’m no geography whiz, but I’m pretty certain that Georgia is nowhere near Connecticut and by the magic of Google Maps, I can confirm my suspicions. They are in fact 1,013 miles apart. So what possible connection could there be between this film and its prequel? The answer is, none. In, what is possibly the dumbest marketing decision by an executive ever, the film was meant to be the second in a running series of “The Haunting In…” series, but fearing audiences wouldn’t make the connection between the two, not that a connection was needed, the “Connecticut” part was also added. The reason it is important to understand this insane title, is that THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: GHOSTS OF GEORGIA, not only has a needlessly long title, but it’s also a much better film.
It’s by no means perfect, offering up the usual generic plot based on a “true” story that only the family can verify. A family moves into a new house that was suspiciously cheap, only for strange goings on, focussed on the family’s young daughter, to start ruining everything. No points for imagination then, and research into the actual case proves that a lot of the film has been embellished in order to insert a subplot involving the Underground Railroad. The screenwriters deserve points for their efforts here, but there doesn’t seem to be much tact in the execution.
The film elevates itself above its predecessor by the family dynamics and interactions. A solid cast has been assembled to counteract the generic plot with original characters. Abigail Spencer plays the tortured mother who sees things but believes herself to be crazy. She takes pills and tries to ignore any ghostly apparitions. Meanwhile, Chad Michael Murray, plays the very caring father who actually insists that even though he isn’t experiencing anything weird, there may be something to their daughter’s (Lind) claims. The non-believer being the one actually seeing the ghosts, and her self-doubt concerning her sanity, is a brilliant avenue to explore and to the film’s credit it follows through.
The handling of the horror elements is less subtle though, and it also becomes a very irritating viewing experience. Although the events themselves can be disturbing, Elkins seems to have shot every appearance of a ghost of supernatural encounter through an Instagram filter. At times it turns scratchy and black and white, and others gives a bright orange glow. These are also accompanied by distracting scratching noises, shaky camera movements, and very quick cuts. Apparently the afterlife are fans of music videos. It’s a shame considering there are a number of very creepy ghouls whose motives are unclear, as well as number of occasions where subtlety takes control. One scene sees a ghostly figure watching over a young girl, we cut to an establishing shot of a sunrise, and as we cut back the ghost is surprisingly still there.
Strong performances from all involved, as they explore a likable family relationship, mean THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: GHOSTS OF GEORGIA isn’t a total loss, but it certainly won’t impress beyond the characters on display. Unsettling at times, but mostly loud and obnoxious when it comes to horror, here is a horror where the drama is the best thing it’s got going for it. If only said drama had been incorporated into a better horror.
[usr=2]THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: GHOSTS OF GEORGIA is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 3rd March.
