Ghost town movie review 2023

Ghost Town is a thrilling western film written and directed by Owen Conway. The movie runs for approximately 1 hour and 33 minutes and is a perfect combination of the western, mystery, and thriller genres.

Ghost Town is a horror film set in a deserted boomtown, which has become a literal ghost town. The protagonist, Solomon, is a drifter who finds himself in dire straits after his horse dies, he runs out of money, and his gun goes missing. Fortunately, he sees a town in the distance and lands a job working for Hagan, the owner of the local saloon and brothel. However, strange occurrences begin to take place, including hearing and seeing strange things and even witnessing a spider crawling out of a woman's mouth.

The film's director and writer, Owen Conway, keeps the film's ambitions within its budget and his level of experience. He effectively uses dialogue, simple effects, and frequent references to the town as a ghost town to create an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. The cast is small, and Conway elicits credible performances from the actors.

As expected, the film builds to a twisted and horrific finale, complete with a preacher who resembles a character out of an H.P. Lovecraft story. However, the plot becomes somewhat convoluted and loses its sense of logic. The special effects are a mix of practical and CGI, with the ghostly apparitions being surprisingly good. However, the fire scenes are not as effective.

Overall, Ghost Town is an interesting horror film that shows promise but ultimately falls short in the final act. Owen Conway displays potential as a director, and it will be interesting to see if he continues in this role or focuses on writing and acting in his brother Robert's films.

Other type review for subscribers in below

In Ghost Town, a drifter named Solomon finds himself in a desolate boomtown after his horse dies, his gun goes missing, and he runs out of money. He secures a job at the local saloon and brothel owned by Hagan. However, Solomon's new employment turns sour when a customer is killed, and he begins hearing and seeing strange things. His encounters include a growling noise outside his door and a spider emerging from a prostitute's mouth.

Owen Conway, who also wrote and directed the film, portrays Solomon. His previous writing credits include Krampus: The Reckoning, The Covenant, and Eminence Hill. While this is his directorial debut, Conway does an excellent job of keeping the film's ambitions within budget and his experience level. The film's tone is set using dialogue, such as frequent references to the town as a ghost town or graveyard, and simple effects to visualize Solomon's experiences.

The small cast includes Robert Sprayberry as Hagan, Charlie E Motley as Sheriff Hoyt, Becky Jo Harris as Stella, Eva Hamilton as Kate, and Stephen Moran as Benjamin. Conway's direction elicits credible performances from the cast, even from Moran, who spends most of the time sounding like a TV preacher.

The film lets loose in the final act, complete with a preacher who looks like he stepped out of an H.P. Lovecraft story. While it delivers wonderfully twisted images, any sense of plot and logic goes out the window. The effects are a mix of practical and CGI, with the digitally assisted ghost making a strong impression. However, the film's fire scenes fall short. The only real gore occurs near the end, and while effective, it may not satisfy gore aficionados.

Overall, Ghost Town is a promising film that falters in the final act. Conway shows potential as a director, and it will be interesting to see if he continues in this role or returns to writing and acting in his brother Robert's films.