Review of Ghost Story (1981) by Alex R — 11 Apr 2013

Ghost Story is an average horror yarn that had the potential of being something truly memorable. As it stands, there are some effective moments here and there, but overall the material is mostly flat with minimal chills to be had.

I enjoyed the film as a mindless time waster, but I also felt that the filmmakers could have put a bit more effort into the film's script to really make it stand out among other ghost tales. Acting wise, there are some good performances, unfortunately there are no standout performances either.

Genre fans may enjoy it, and there some good things about the film. However like I said, there should have been more effort put into delivering something truly horrifying. Ghost Story is mildly chilling, and it leaves a lot to be desired.

Is the film worth seeing, you ask? Well, it is, if you want something in the vein of Amityville horror, where it's not too scary, and then this is a perfect film to watch. Ghost Story is one of those films that is perfect for newcomers of the horror genre as the horror content is quite soft, but suggests more that what is going on, on-screen.

In that sense, it leaves the imagination run wild, and it that respect, the movie succeeds at being quite entertaining and overcoming its shortcomings. The film could have been reworked, but as a whole, it's mindless entertainment that will appeal to new fans of horror, but for the veteran, they notice its flaws very early.

The plot on the other hand is quite good, but good have been perfected a bit more to really make Ghost Story a memorable horror classic. In the end, it's worth seeing, and if you can get past its imperfections, you might like it as a cheesy horror tale.