Haunter (2013)

Directed by: Vincenzo Natali
Country: USA

Movie Review: Vincenzo Natali continues his explorations on horror and supernatural, although still without achieving the notoriety of his first work dated 97, the paranoid and psychological “Cube”. “Haunter” is the story of Lisa (Abigail Breslin), a 16-year-old girl who after establishing contact with a mysterious presence at her house, sees herself trapped in a timeless world populated by living and dead. Establishing contact with the identity that whispers for help, she will follow dark hidden places at home until find several objects that once belonged to missing girls who died in that place. Her waking dreams and repeated visions of her family in weird situations, will lead to the horrible conclusion that, together with all these girls, she and her family were also murdered by a sinister man (Stephen McHattie), a serial killer who lived in that house and continues haunting its dwellers. The film was well shot, evincing curious details and creating shadowy images that caused a desirable impact. But when the truth starts to be disclosed, the mysterious atmosphere vanishes, and the story becomes less scary or intriguing. Horror aficionados may find something entertaining here, but I must confess that nothing fresh was found in this mediocre, perpetual battle for justice and salvation. This is a perfect example of an interesting setup that turns to be useless as the story approaches its volatile conclusions.