Ghost House (2017)

Starring: Scout Taylor-Compton, James Landry Hebert, Michael S New, Mark Boone Junior

Director: Rich Ragsdale

On holiday in Thailand, a young couple fall in with some new friends, who offer, after a drinking and strip club session, to take them to an amazing photo opportunity. Taken to a strange and eerie forest, to see ghost houses, model size dwellings for spirits, the young woman is tricked into taking on the curse of the ghost house there. Can her fiancé find out how to lift the curse before she is sent mad and her soul is taken forever?

This film does suffer from some classic horror film cliches, people do idiotic things that you probably wouldn’t do in real life. And I did feel like the local Thai people were sidelined and not really treated like real people. They come across as cute peasants a lot of the time. Oh and Jim, the fiance, asks Julie to marry him and then randomly leaves her outside with a stranger while he is taken into a strip club where he cheats on her. So there’s that.

But I think if you like horror films, you should consider checking this one out. The dark spirit that enacts the curse is really cool and well designed. She’s inexorable and mean, and really creepy, and she’s used really well in this film. It’s an entertaining and spooky watch.

And special mention to Gogo, the Thai taxi driver who goes to great lengths to help these strangers who have offended his local ghosts and who kind of seem to just expect his help. He really comes through for them with spiritual healers, accepting calls at all hours, and driving them all over the place.

I really liked the concept of ghost houses, which I didn’t know about. And using them for a horror film and having the innocent American tourist fall foul of them is a great plot idea. I think this is a pretty good horror film, definitely spooky. Even if Jim is a total jerk.

See It If: you’re planning a holiday with your significant other… A fun and spooky smaller film, which should please fans of horror.