REVIEW: Poltergeist (2015)

- By Silent-P

Remakes - love them or hate them, they are a trend that cannot be avoided, no matter what genre you love. There seems to be a big split in opinion over their relevance as well. Some find them to be a useful way to introduce a new audience to a classic story which they may otherwise have avoided, some disgustedly pointing out that you can never improve upon a classic original, while others just appreciate an entertaining retelling of a great story. The latter being my opinion of the recent Poltergeist remake.

I would never have considered Poltergeist in need of a remake, but since the cast boasted Sam Rockwell and Jared Harris, I thought this remake was worth a watch. Placing Harris in the role of Carrigan Burke was the most significant change to the story, but worked really well. Turning him into a grizzled psychic veteran and minor TV celebrity was a great touch which allowed some fluidity in the script while keeping the story moving in the right direction.

The plot largely stays true to the original movie; a family experience paranormal phenomena after moving into a new house, culminating in the spectral abduction for their youngest daughter. Reluctantly calling upon the help of Dr Brooke Powell, an academic in spiritual abnormalities, the family, headed by pragmatic Eric Bowen (Rockwell), find themselves swiftly in the hands of TV ghost hunter Burke.

The second act of the movie plays out with some unpleasant scares as Powell, Burke and their crew explore the house and dig deeper into the mystery of the missing child. While Bowen stumbles upon the secret of the house being built on a desecrated graveyard, Burke flits from loveable rogue to potential fraud. The presence of a celebrity in the family home gives Kendra Bowen, eldest daughter and avid Burke fan, food for thought and its interesting to see how her opinion is on the verge of waning at some of Burke’s lower, snippier moments. Kendra’s influence on her brother, Griffin, is accepted, but her parents are quick to put faith in Burke.

The transition from unbeliever to true believer seemed a little too swift for my liking, with Eric Bowen a bit too willing to try out some of Burke’s outlandish experiments in order to bring his daughter safely home. The relationship between these two characters could have been developed a little further, which would have made Burke’s back story more symbiotic with the Bowen’s plight. However, the final dramatic scene is all the more effective for the friendship forged between these two characters, who aren’t quite as disparate as we may have thought.

There were some nice ‘classic’ touches throughout. The effects had an old skool feel to them which was clearly a nod to the original. The pace was also steady but with a reassuring slow burn, ignoring the opportunity for changing the game with jump scares and outrageous additions to the plot. However, bringing the story into the present day by using iPads and wifi as mechanisms for communication with the spirits as well as cultural references to our obsession with reality TV were well executed. The focus on screens paid homage to the original while adding relevance to a 2015 audience, for whom mobile devices and digital communication are a daily staple. Plus the reworked abduction through the TV scene had a particularly creepy crescendo, even for those who knew what was coming.

As a modern retelling, this version of Poltergeist felt fresh though it didn’t really add anything to the original concept. I imagine that if Tobe Hooper had not made this movie back in 1982 then this would be an enjoyable horror movie that would be well received. In this respect it reminded me of the recent Carrie remake - no need for it, but what the hell, lets make an entertaining remake of a horror flick. However, its pedestrian delivery may still be a bit too dated for new audiences to really appreciate among hi-octane remakes of movies like Friday 13th and Halloween.

@gojacksongo