I had high hopes for this much-lauded Spanish import, executive-produced by Guillermo Del Toro, who brought us Pan’s Labyrinth.
Director Juan Antonio Bayona’s beautifully shot, well-acted ghost tale certainly kept me glued to my seat anticipating its payoff.
Sadly, I’m still waiting.
The story centers on Laura, who in her late 30s buys the orphanage in which she was raised so she can turn it into a home for disabled children. The creepy abode embodies menace in its every nook and cranny, particularly after her adopted son Simon starts hanging out with a few imaginary friends.
Then the ghost of horror clichés appears and you can bet that Simon’s imaginary friends have bad intentions and it may have something to do with events that happened at this very same orphanage many years ago.
Soon, Simon goes missing and a frantic Laura searches the house, and her own memories, for clues to his disappearance.
The film takes its time, way too much time, letting the story unfold and gets bogged down in its efforts to build anticipation. I’m not sure why this was getting so many glowing reviews. Perhaps after a spate of crappy horror films featuring torture, a quiet, thinking person’s fright film was a welcome sight.
There are a few good moments to savor, such as Laura’s first encounter with the creepy child in the burlap mask. But there are relatively few jolts otherwise to keep the audience interested and the story is fairly routine, ending pretty much where you’ll expect it to end.
--Jeff Cercone