Post by Mr.HoRrOr on Sept 6, 2011 18:26:04 GMT -5
Plot:While trying to get their lives back on track after the loss of their four year old son, Bryn and Paul Shaw move to the charming old Beacon Apartments. Bryn begins seeing a ghostly little boy skulking around the building. With the help of an eccentric young professor and a tough old beat cop, Bryn tries to uncover the details of the boy's death. She hopes that freeing the child will allow him to carry a message to her son. Too late she realizes a second malevolent entity stalks the halls of the Beacon: one that doesn't want the boy to escape.
Cast:
Teri Polo
David Rees Snell
Elaine Hendrix
Michael Ironside
Marnette Patterson
My Thoughts:Great supernatural chiller!
Review:The one thing that today's supernatural horror films have in common is quite frankly, being a bunch of little wusses. None of them take any chances. They usually end or conclude, in the same fashion. It was either all a dream, an out-of-body experience, or the ghost is really the person who thinks they're actually part of the living world. And then there are the teen casts. Which are a red alert that the film isn't going to really try or attempt in any way to scare you. Because we can't have those hot "90210" kids being freaked out too much!
Otherwise they'll quit the movie, and we'll have to go out and find real actors! Michael Stokes "The Haunting At The Beacon" though. Basically says f*** all of that. And makes a supernatural horror-chiller that is both smart, ballsy, and not afraid to shake things up within its respective genre. The film begins when a woman and her husband, grieving the loss of their 4-year old son...move to The Beacon Apartments complex. As they settle in, the wife...Bryn, begins to notice a strange little boy running around the halls of the building.
As she investigates further, she begins to realize that the boy might be being victimized in the spirit world by his abusive father. Who is also deceased. Thus, she seeks to help the boy in death. First off, I noticed some strange things about "The Haunting At The Beacon". For one, the film has a young woman living with Bryn and her husband who is very young and very blond. It's hard to believe that any woman who is suffering from grief syndrome, and is married...would allow such a tempting person to live with her and her husband.
Not that it doesn't happen. I just saw it as a bit off. But anyways, this movie really starts off as a decent mystery movie. It hangs in a certain direction. Where you think things will end as crappily as they began. The mystery shapes up as another one of those "ghost kid lures overly-suspicious adult into trouble" sorts of movies. Think "Dark Water" and "The Ring". Where helping the child spirit ends in total disaster. But "The Beacon" quickly expands on what it offers in the beginning. And as the film moves on, it unfolds in modes.
The mystery begins as kind of boring, aloof, and slow. But as the picture goes on, it quickly gets darker, more ominous, and creepy. By late in act 2 into act 3...the film has you very intrigued. As Bryn (Polo), gets drawn deeper and deeper into this twisted mystery. But of course, the writers cannot give you this tormented character without some pull back. Sure, Bryn sees this ghost. And we see the ghost along with her. But Bryn has yet to fully recover from losing her young son.
And the ghost of the little boy, triggers even more of those feelings of grief. So the film kicks around the idea that maybe Bryn is just imagining this, or has been mentally broken by grief. And this whole thing could just be a crazy dream of hers. Could just be her mind playing tricks. Of course, we know that isn't true. But the movie creates a character the viewer can sympathize with so much, that you feel for Polo's character right from the jump. And her performance as Bryn really draws empathy from the viewer for her.
So while you know there is definitely something going on with the 'ghost boy', you in the back of your mind think maybe Bryn is just really never gonna recover mentally and emotionally from losing her son. Thus, she's spawned this spectre from her own mind. But "The Beacon" smartly throws in an equally tormented character in a police officer, a female one...who is haunted by her own past demons. Which connect to her job as a police officer. So it's a cool contrast, watching these two female characters, who are strong in some ways. Yet very fragile in others...try and deal with all that's happening around them.
And this building, The Beacon...which has a lot more dark secrets than the film suggests early on...brings them both together. And when you throw in Bryn's husband being led astray by temptation by a seductive neighbor, and also the appearance of a second ghost. Who seems to be more malevolent than the ghost of the little boy, "The Beacon" really puts a lot on its own plate to handle in just under 100 minutes. But it handles it all very well. And the good performances by Polo and others...helps the movie move along to it's very dark, creepy, and shocking final act.
You wanna talk about twists? This movie compounds a set of about 3 or four nice ones leading late into act three. All the while picking up more interesting characters along the way. Such as a young student-professor, who tries to aid Bryn in her attempt to solve The Beacon's supernatural mysteries. By the conclusion of the movie, every vital player is set in motion, and brought together at The Beacon for the grand finale. Which is certainly GRAND...if anything. But the movie saves its final, and most shocking twist for the final scene.
Which also at the same time, is quite sad and depressing in some ways. But the ending avoids the happy ending cliche, so it gets major points from me for doing so. In the end, "The Haunting At The Beacon" is a supernatural horror/mystery pic that is worth seeing most definitely. It is just as performance driven, as it is driven by scares, and supernatural goings-ons. A very well-rounded picture more than anything.
Positives:The ending took guts. A very nice script with well-placed moments of mystery and intrigue. And then the script turns very dark, and thrilling by the end. Great performances by vets such as Polo and Elaine Hendrix. Interesting characters as well. And whom were not teenagers, but adults who had adult problems. Very refreshing in today's horror films.
Negatives:Nothing major. But the early parts of the movie take a while to get into gear. Or kick into gear persay.
Overall:Three and a half stars out of four.