If the horror movie is one of the most dependable genres, in terms of audience interest, then the haunted-house movie is a traditional refinement of that idea; Stephen King writes about the idea of ‘the bad place’ as somewhere that absorbs the negative energy of previous terrors and manifests them on the unwary, and that’s made for classic films like The Haunting and The Shining. Chris Smith follows down the same route of having an-‘ing in the title, but he offers an intelligent, literate slant on things, making this that rarest of things, a classy, smart horror film.
It’s pre-WWII England, and a pre-credits sequence sets the tone with a mysterious death, and the dancing figure of spiritualist Harry Price (Sean Harris from the last two Mission Impossible films, here sporting a shock of red hair that would make George Costanza’s dad blush). The meaning isn’t immediately clear as we re-focus on Marianne (Jessica Brown Findlay, Downtown Abbey) who is married to a rather timid local man of the cloth, Linus (John Heffernan). Complete with their daughter Adelaide, the family move into an old manse, the Boreley rectory, and soon the familiar elements are in array; spooky dolls, children’s toys, mysterious hooded figures and more to come…
Perhaps we’ve been on this particular ghost train ride before, but rarely with such sustained tension; Smith is a genre veteran through memorable work like Triangle and Black Death, and while he’s got an eye for an unsettling image, The Banishing never slips into the set-piece shocker mould. Gore, even acts of violence are generally played down in favour of character and setting; John Lynch has a neat part as a clergyman who stands in opposition to Price’s superstitions, and this pays off in a final twist that will not be revealed here.
The Banishing doubles down to focus on Marianne’s POV, but always keeps a tight grip on reality as she sees it; the finale may not be the effects-catalogue so often offered, but fans of the granular slow-reveals of The Conjuring 1 and 2 will enjoy the vibe here. Smith has long been one of cinemas most understated film-makers, but The Banishing’s appearance on the popular Shudder horror channel from April 15th should ensure that everyone’s reputations are enhanced by this considered, wintry and effectively fearful slice of horror.
Thanks to Shudder and Vertigo for advance access to The Banishing, which will stream on the following digital platforms from the 26th March, courtesy of Vertigo Releasing:
iTunes / Apple TV
Amazon
Sky
Virgin
Google / YouTube
Rakuten
BT
Playstation
Microsoft
Nope.
I’ll need more info than that!
Why?
Because you’re worth it?
True.
see, all kids are creepy to me . . . I stay the hell away from them. I’ll have a relationship with a ghost any time. Keep the kids away from me. 🙂
also, I often watch these things just for the appealing beauty of the protagonist.
That applies here…
I’ll bear this in mind. Ghosts usually creepy too…
Big fan of good horror movies as long as they make me jump. So looking forward to this.
This is top notch, good strong cast, innovative direction, genre done well.
I thought this was going to be a movie about a snarky film critic banning commenters (one of them played by Paul Rudd) from his blog. This sounds a little more conventional.
As today’s guest contributor Jessica Brown Findlay says in her notes to Bookstodge, there’s a forthcoming film about a devilishly handsome Scottish film critic played by Brad Pitt whose massive success leaves his aged competitors in the dust. I’m sure there will be a tiny role for the Hils Have Eyes guys as you, a character through whose failure we can see more clearly my success.
By “your” success you’re talking about JBF? The Queen of England? A mad bunny? The Beast of Blanefield?
All of the above, versatile as Peter Sellers, many different guises, all very popular. Jealous, much?
Not a whit. I wouldn’t want to be spending all that money on therapy.
And yet your enterprise is doomed to failure while mine prospers….
Which of your criminal enterprises are you referring to?
That would be by film reviewing blog, currently crushing yours….
Oh the insecurity! You really do need that therapy.
Just sayin’ ! You know it’s true!
Is that you in that first picture?
I think it’s clearly Jessica Brown Findlay from Downtown Abbey.
Those pouty lips say otherwise. Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s you!
Ok, you called it, I am Jessica Brown Findlay, star of Downtown Abbey. Thought it might have gotten away with it, but you saw through my disguise. Hope you enjoy my new movie!
Yes, yes, I KNEW it!!!!
I’m pretty good when it comes to spotting the little details that give away the bigger picture.
Hope the movie is a smashing success and you earn a lot of money from it.
Thanks, it was a lot of fun to make, and I’m keen to try something different and put Downtown behind me. It was great fun shooting this in a haunted house, and the crew kept us entertained by their little pranks like pretending to be ghosts and waking me up in the middle of the night. PS I’ve read your blog and you should be ashamed of yourself. Best wishes, Jess.
No worries. I am ashamed of myself, today. It’ll probably last all day.
I think for your next act you should try playing a cranky scottish film reviewer. It would be a smash hit with the blogging community. and considering how those suckers like to write, it’s free publicity.
Funny you should say that, but there are rumours that Brad Pitt will be starring in a movie based on the hit film-authority.com website, and with a bit of luck, I’ll be his leading lady. It’s the true story of his rise to fame, and those tragic figures he left in his wake, much like yourself. Thanks for the ideas!
I want Stone Cold Steve Austin to play me if it works out!
Is he a local philosopher of some kind?
I think he’s the guy the Thinker was based on?
The Thinker? He’s like The Undertaker, right? Thinking man’s WWF star?
I can never keep the WWE and the WWF separate. Plus all that MMA stuff and man, the the 3 letter acronyms are flying around like spaghetti monsters….
I think they changed it to avoid confusion with the World Wildlife Fund or something.