The Poltergeist of Borley Forest   Starring: Marina Petrano, Chris ingle, Rhea Rossiter, Weston Adwell, Ava Griffin and Nicholas Barrera Distributor: RLJ Entertainment RRP: £12.99 IMAGE4022 Certificate: 15 Release Date: 05 October 2015

Teenager Paige sneaks out of her house to attend a late night party at the supposedly haunted Borley Forest. Not only does the party turn out to be a damp squib, but Paige inadvertently brings something back with her. From that moment on nothing is the same. She is repeatedly shocked awake over a number of nights by movement and shadows in her room, and even sees a figure. It is little use telling her strict parents, so a friend elects to stay overnight but when they are attacked by the figure hovering over their bed, the friend goes into a catatonic state. When some strange CCT footage is verified she finds new help in the form of her older brother and his wife, and another reluctant friend. Together they have to find out who the violent spirit is, and make the journey back into the forest to confront it...

Paige is one of the most unassuming teenage girls I’ve ever seen portrayed on film, so the continual telling-off from her parents makes little or no sense. It’s just overkill leading up to when they see the light. Nevertheless, the characters are pretty good. I just wonder why, in all of these movies, they go through a living hell but continue to sleep in the same room. You would be out of there like a shot in the real world.

Although slow to start, this film has some nice scenes. I particularly like the ambiguity of the ghost; sometimes it’s malevolent and other times curiously passive. We discover the reason for this at the end, but I find it strange that ghosts in these circumstances have no trouble expressing themselves by attacking someone, but find it virtually impossible to express their purpose for being around in the first place. Using the plot device that evil entities can’t operate in the light, it’s a nice idea that when Paige’s entire family is attacked to the point of almost being killed, an electric light being switched on effectively saves them all.

The marketing blurb mentions a scythe-wielding killer, but firstly it’s a sickle not a scythe and, more to the point, in the context of the story it’s only seen once very briefly. People viewing publicity pictures from this film could be fooled into believing it is some kind of slasher movie. Whatever, this is a simple but well-told ghost story let down on occasion by lack of realisation. Paige’s brother and his friend study CCTV footage of the front of the house and discover something – a shape, maybe – that is never identified or shown to the viewer, even though the characters are very shocked and one even throws up.

One more point: The film tagline is ‘It will not rest in peace,’ but the blurb’s ‘Bring the horror home…’ is much more appropriate and logical. Extras include Behind the Scenes, Deleted Scenes and Outtakes.

6

Ty Power