Danielle is a university student who sublets an old Victorian house. Almost immediately she senses another presence in the building. Setting up a camera, she manages to capture evidence of a number of supernatural events. Plainly sceptical, her sister asks Danielle's ex-boyfriend to call round and check on her. But Danielle has discovered a secret room and soon discovers the presence to be that of the evil spectre of Edgar Crowe, a vicious child-killer from years before. As her sister and boyfriend worry about a possible second psychotic episode, the powerful personality of Crowe begins to possess her own, and compels her to reassemble his trademark torture device, the Panic Chair...

The Chair succeeds on more than one level, but it's strongest feature is the slow and steady build-up of tension and suspense. I enjoyed the first half of the film better, which is a genuinely eerie ghost story - and particularly like the adept touch of the little boy who is always going past the house (on his bike or with a ball) every time Danielle looks out of the window or leaves the house. This has the feel of a supernatural groundhog event, but turns out to be quite mundane.

There are similarities to The Ring in the concluding scenes, but considering this is a low budget indie film, shot in director Brett Sullivan's own house, The Chair comes across as a good example of how a supernatural legend or a piece of exaggerated history can be brought into the real world. A pleasant surprise.

8

Ty Power