Poltergeist
2015 · Directed by Gil Kenan
Original language: English
- horror
The story
A family's suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.
What it’s like
Dim suburban rooms lit by flickering televisions, glowing screens and the cold blue of a hallway nightlight, with the camera drifting through the house in restless, sometimes handheld passes that make familiar furniture feel slightly wrong. The palette is warm domestic beige and brown breaking into sickly greens and stark whites when the spirits surface, and the digital finish is glossy and clean rather than grainy. Sound design does much of the work: creaks, static hiss, sudden bangs and a low, rising score that swells into sharp stings. Pacing is brisk and escalating, with quieter family scenes of bickering, grief and reconciliation setting up jolts that arrive at regular intervals. Its tone is busy, jumpy suburban dread with a warm, wry family core, more amusement-park haunt than slow-burn unease. Intensity is moderate: frightening apparitions, a child in peril, some physical hauntings and jump scares, with little gore and no sexual content. It suits a Friday night with friends or a seasonal scare rather than anyone wanting something gentle. It is for viewers who enjoy spooky-house set pieces, sharp scares and a family that bands together under pressure.
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