Killer clowns, evil trees, zombie ghosts, and a real estate agent who has no respect for disclosure laws – Gil Kenan’s remake of the 1982 horror film has everything while managing to say nothing.
Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt cash in their indie credentials for this by-the-numbers supernatural flick, playing a couple with three kids who buy a new house that stands on an old cemetery.
Sadly, Kenan plays many of his cards far too early, and with little logic; thought the bulk of the action revolves around technology, Kenan doesn’t develop this theme into something updated and interesting. Nor does he create a cohesive or tension-fuelled narrative, instead throwing random jump scares and creatures at the audience long before they’ve begun to emotionally engage.
Rockwell and DeWitt are moving as distraught parents; Jared Harris provides comic relief as a celebrity paranormal expert; while the young actors effectively portray sensitive children who aren’t believed until it’s too late. Ultimately, however, there is little to distinguish this generic, spook-by-numbers flick.