The Haunting in Connecticut

Roadshow

R4 DVD

I have always been a sucker for ghost stories, from the most ludicrous to the supposedly “real”. This is the latest ghost story based on a “true story” and while it has at its heart a plot which has been repeated time and time again it does do it rather well.

Matt is suffering from cancer and the long trip for treatment each day is taking its toll on his family. They decide to rent an old Victorian home close to the hospital which is surprisingly economical compared to those around it. While his mother Sara is made aware of its strange past, she doesn’t think much of it until unexplained events begin to occur as soon as they move in.

Matt is plagued by violent and tormented visions of a young boy who seems to have acted as a spirit medium for the original owners of the house. He finds it difficult to take these nightmares seriously as he is on a cocktail of meds and cannot be sure if it is just the treatment. He is also loathe to discuss it with his doctor since he is part of a clinical trial and doesn’t want to risk his place. However as time progresses his mental state starts to deteriorate more and more.

When the family discovers that the house was originally a funeral parlour and the ghostly episodes begin to increase the truth about the house becomes clear. It seems that Jonah, the young boy was not only a spirit medium but a vessel by which dark forces could enter the world and now he has found a means to return.

When Matts mental condition reaches such a level he needs to be hospitalized for psychiatric treatment, the onslaught really begins.

The Haunting is an interesting tale in that it uses the emotional story of the Campbell’s and their attempt to save the life of their son as its heart and this takes it somewhat outside the realm of traditional ghost stories. Combining excellent special effects, a solid ghost story and a compassionate tale of suffering and disease makes it an intriguing tale. The constant shocks, ghosts in mirrors and windows, bodies and so on all help to create a dark and edgy mood. However, the fact that the haunted house story has been done so many times before does not help in the originality stakes but ultimately it does provide an enjoyable if not a little predictable horror experience.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 4 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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