By Mark Saldana
Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars)
My second Midnighter film of the festival played on the same night as the special secret screening of Furious 7. Knowing that I would most certainly have a chance to view that major title later, I decided to take a chance on what I thought might be a fun and thrilling haunted house story. It definitely didn’t hurt that We Are Still Here is a new release by SnowFort Pictures, the genre studio behind such awesomeness as Cheap Thrills, Starry Eyes, Big Ass Spider, and The Aggression Scale. With those badass movies in its filmography, it wasn’t too difficult to choose this exciting new film from first time writer/director Ted Geoghegan. After enjoying the thrills, the scares and the performances by the stellar cast, I discovered that I chose wisely.
Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, You’re Next) and Andrew Sensenig star as Anne and Paul Sachetti, a married couple mourning the tragic loss of their son. They decide to move to a small quiet community in New England in hopes of moving on with their lives. Not long after they move in, they suspect that their home is haunted by angry, vengeful spirits intent on making their stay not so comfortable. Desperate for answers, Anne and Paul invite their more spiritual-savvy friends May (Lisa Marie) and Jacob Lewis (Larry Fessenden) to help them communicate with their tormentors.
I must say that Ted Geoghegan should be quite proud of his directorial debut. It is genre flick that delivers thrills, frights, and chills. Geoghegan uses his knowledge of genre cinema well and even adds some fresh touches of his own. Granted, the movie is a good old fashioned horror film that doesn’t reinvent the ghost story, but I don’t think that was his intention. This piece is a fun and exciting movie that should please most fans of horror. Geoghegan proves himself as a filmmaker worthy of more work and his wonderful cast delivers solid performances. I can’t say audiences will be blown away by this movie, but they will certainly have a frightfully great time.