Review of Ghost Ship (1952) by Jackson P — 19 Dec 2018

Here is an effective scene in the opening but it is false promise and the film is a mediocre ghost slasher on a ship. Ghost Ship is essentially a movie about a bunch of anonymous characters stuck in a floating haunted house.

In general, this kind of movie can be diverting if it's put together correctly. (Consider, for example, that Ridley Scott's Alien is essentially a haunted house movie, set on a spaceship.) Unfortunately, Ghost Ship shows little in the way of solid craftsmanship.

Since the primary asset of a haunted house movie is rarely the plot, this sub-genre must rely on elements like shock tactics and suspense â" two characteristics where Ghost Ship falls short. Aside from an occasional, half-hearted "boo!" moment, there's nothing scary about this movie.

Nearly all of the characters in Ghost Ship are flat, underdeveloped, and uninteresting. The cinematography is meh and the CGI is barely tolerable.