Review of Winchester (2018) by Thequietgamer — 13 May 2018

A great setting and strong character work keep things going in the face of cliché scare tactics. The majority of my enjoyment with the movie came from Jason Clarke's very charming performance. Sharp dialog makes his interactions with the other characters entertaining and The Spierig Brothers have crafted a satisfying plot arc for him that ties in well with the main issues they've got going on in the Winchester mansion.

I found myself very invested in the plot as the characters were intriguing (even if some were given too little to do). The actual horror element left me wanting though. While an effective recreation of the early 1900s visually, there is a notable lack of any sort of haunting atmosphere. The directors try their best to get a rise out of you with their well-crafted jump scares, but made them too overly telegraphed and predictable to give viewers anything more than a minor jolt. Mix that in with the slow pace and you have what many will find to be a rather boring watch.

It managed to hold my interest with it's writing though. Things can be a bit goofy in some areas, but I liked how Winchester managed to take actual events and built it's own little horror story around them. Despite the generic approaches taken to try and freak audiences out, it's a solidly executed movie. The Spierig Brothers have proven themselves as talented directors that are capable of bringing their visions to life onscreen. They've just more than not often found themselves in need of better material to work with. This film is unfortunately another example of that, although there are some good qualities to it.