The Haunting

Starring: Liam Neeson, Lili Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Bruce Dern, Todd Field
Directed by: Jan de Bont
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror, Mystery
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: Three people (Lili Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson) take part in a sleep study in an old mansion. Little do they know that the scientist (Liam Neeson) in charge is actually doing a study on fear.

Review:

Tim: The Haunting is an okay movie. It's not terrible, but it is certainly not good either. The special effects are pretty good and there is an occasionally creepy moment. The film isn't especially scary, but it is helped out by a very good cast. This is a horror film that elicits more shrugs than anything else. It's a forgettable film that never capitalizes on its promise.

The central premise is interesting. Three people sign up for a sleep study that is really a study in fear. This creates some interesting mysteries, as odd things start to happen. The big question is how much of the strange occurrences are due to the fear study, and how much is due to the fact that the mansion is actually really haunted (of course it is). The movie never really draws the distinction between the two. This could be viewed as a flaw, but it really keeps you guessing. Is Liam Neeson behind the bumps in the night, or is it a vengeful ghost? We never really get the answers to these questions. That is a little unsatisfying, but it does keep the mystery element alive.

The cast is easily the best part of the film. I'm not sure how they assembled such a good cast for a film like this. I liked Liam Neeson as the shady scientist. He did a good job of playing this character right down the middle. He's not a monster, but he is obviously a bit slimy if he's comfortable duping three people with serious sleep issues. His character is ambiguous, and I liked that. Lili Taylor is really the main character and I thought she did a serviceable job. She wasn't fantastic, but she played her character with the right tone- is she insane or unhinged, or just a little lost? Catherine Zeta-Jones was a bit too over-the-top for me. I wish she had shown a little restraint. It didn't feel like she was really putting much into her performance. Owen Wilson is always a nice addition to a cast, and I thought he did good work here. He brought some much-needed levity while giving a good performance all around. It was good to see Bruce Dern here, but he has very little to do. Still, for a film like this, the cast is top-notch.

The special effects are quite good. While some are a bit dated by today's standards, they were very strong for 1999. The effects aren't necessarily scary, but they do add a nice creepy element to the film. A few are quite strong. This is a horror movie that relies very heavily on special effects, which is both good and bad. I wish they had used a few more practical effects.

The story is only mildly interesting. It involves ghosts, mysteries of horrible events that took place among the living and a few unexpected twists and turns. I have to admit I never really cared about any of the history of the house or who was doing the haunting, or why. It just never really felt very interesting. It felt redundant, like a hundred other ghost stories that take place on movie screens. I just gave a collective shrug to the whole ghost story, which is not good at all. The contemporary story of our living characters was much more interesting. It hurts the film that more and more time is spent on the ghost story, since it's so lackluster.

In the end, The Haunting is fine for a horror movie. It has a few strengths but even more weaknesses. I didn't hate the film, but I didn't particularly like it, either. It's an okay movie (which is still somewhat of a damning statement). I wanted to like this film more, but it never gave me a reason.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6



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