Review of Winchester (2018) by Sean S — 01 Feb 2018

Helen Mirren plays Sarah Winchester, whom, feeling guilt over the lives lost to her family's signature firearms, channels the spirits of those lost, into designing the rooms of their deaths, in order to serve as an anchor for them to the real world, and through them, find a means of obtaining peace and moving on.

Not all the spirits are peaceful though, as the main antagonist seems set on vengeance. Enter the psychiatrist, commissioned by the layers of her company to 'assess' her mental state, and ability to maintain controlling interest in the company.

This man has a secret of his own, how does he tie into the Winchester house, and what part will he play in the grand scheme of things? The movie felt slightly reminiscing of the 2001 thriller Thirteen Ghosts, in the way each room housed a spirit with a story of their own, only without them all actively trying to kill the people within.

I liked how they didn't try to hide the presence of all the spirits, revealing them only for cheap jump scares. The thriller comes in wondering who will pop up where; is the rattling door a ghost, or a living person planning to enter, what lies around the next turn.

The main focus revolves around absolving the visiting psychiatrist's own demons, while combating the main antagonist. At only an hour and a half, the pace of the movie, while a touch fast, manages to keep flowing without running away from the audience.

For any horror fan, it's worth seeing once, but if you're looking to be scared, perhaps save your money and wait to rent it.