Haunter - A Movie Review

Is it me, or didn’t I already do the laundry yesterday. And the day before that?

Haunter is a 2013 thriller about a teenager who is the only one in her family aware of a mysterious situation. Stuck in a time loop, Lisa notices changes that never occurred before. Lisa steps in to figure out this mystery to get herself and her family to safety.

Heatwaves are never fun but they’re the best times to stay inside and watch a movie in the air conditioning. Haunter immediately appealed to my interest because of its horror genre. The film keeps you guessing from the minute it starts. While Haunter is an original film, it becomes repetitive in its long duration.

Abigail Breslin is the driving force of Haunter. She is easily the best part. Breslin did a great job connecting with her character, especially at the beginning of the film. Obviously, Lisa has been through this time loop one too many times. Because there is little that she can do, Lisa has given in going along with the usual routine day after day even if it frustrates her. That is determination.

Peter Outerbridge, Michelle Nolden, and Peter DaCunha had interesting roles as the members of Lisa’s family. Repeating the same scene over must never be easy but they added different techniques each time. That is acting. They also had the opportunity to manifest emotion and contrasting personalities.

Haunter tests acting abilities. Other credits to include are Stephen McHattie, Samantha Weinstein, Eleanor Zichy, David Hewlett, Sarah Manninen, Martine Campbell, David Knoll, Michelle Coburn, Tadhg McMahon, and Marie Dame. Despite the changes to the story resulting in confusion, I am proud of each actor committing to their roles to bring out a chilling story.

The storyline for Haunter could have been stronger if filmmakers chose which direction to send the story. Stephen McHattie’s role intrigued me. His role could have been expanded more. Due to the circumstances of Lisa’s situation, she learns how to communicate with people living in a separate time period from her. But that is forbidden.

For a simple story, Haunter brings out a new point of view. It is a fresh ghost story that attempts to bring something new to the horror genre. Although the trailer of the film tries to make it look terrifying, it is more suspenseful than scary. It kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going to happen to these characters.

Haunter could have been better if it was shortened. Beginning a film, especially one as complex as this, is tough. Haunter succeeds at pulling in an audience. However, there is only a matter of time before you lose interest. The writers should have established the conflict sooner rather than expanding storylines.

Ghost stories are my favorite. I can understand the angle in which Vincenzo Natali was going but I think even he was unsure about which storyline to choose, therefore making it confusing. Even he was excited to direct this film. His direction and execution of the story were clever. He gave great direction to his actors.

The camera angles and directions are great. The setting for the film is gothic. I felt trapped inside this house too with the mist swarming around the house. Interior decoration is an important element in Haunter because in a way it becomes a character of its own.

Give Haunter a chance. It had me hooked the moment it started trying to figure out what was happening. Pay close attention to the action because it is easy to miss a single detail.