Rachel (Christen Sharice) is a paranormal skeptic, struggling to believe that anything considered occult is real. Claire (Haley Leary) is a clairvoyant paranormal investigator, who believes that many of life’s mysteries can be explained using the paranormal. Together they will investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Spookt is their uncomfortable journey together as they search for the truth.
It felt like Spookt moved so quickly, that I never really had a chance to dive in, to try to appreciate the film’s nuances. I didn’t have the chance to look for the subtleties of Spookt as a result of its pacing. Move too slow and viewers get bored, move too quickly like this film and you lose those viewers in a different way. I was never given a chance to settle in and really analyze the film, and that certainly stole from its potential.
With that being said, the bigger picture is quickly understood, and I think that the story is ultimately compelling. I, too, struggle to believe that any sort of paranormal activity is the reason for anything that happens in this world–and I feel like we don’t often get to see characters like Rachel in films like this. Viewers typically see those that are hell bent on proving some ghostly activity as being fact, and Rachel was something of a breath of fresh air in that regard. Viewers get to see both sides of the same coin in Claire and Rachel, and Spookt is better off as a result of viewers having the opportunity to experience the full scope of this corner of cinema.
In an incredibly modern take on horror films of the past, Spookt uses modern technology (and, as a result, modern solutions) throughout the course of narrative. Viewers see video bloggers telling their tales, and others, oft incapable of expressing themselves in person, using their social media platforms to express their thoughts and opinions. This modern approach is inviting to younger viewers (who may actually appreciate the fast-paced nature of the film).
What impressed me the most about Spookt is the use of light to tell this story. There are many times when the creatures lurk only in the background, or in a position where only part of them can be seen. This plays into the horror aspect of the film, and helps to develop suspense throughout the course of the film. It can sometimes be challenging to get a supernatural “bad guy” just right, and allowing that being to remain hidden throughout the majority of the film is a brilliant decision by Director Tony Reames. The film is well executed in this regard, and what this team is able to accomplish in terms of building suspense around the antagonist is impressive.
Again, the pacing of the film hinders its ability to be truly successful–at least among those of use that are trying to look for the intricacies of filmmaking. As a whole, however, the film is entertaining, and certainly capable of garnering an audience. The acting is effective, the tone of the film is just what it needs to be, and the juxtapositional points of view that exist throughout are more than welcome. Spookt certainly has its flaws, but it will find an audience.
Directed by Tony Reames.
Written by Torey Haas.
Starring Christen Sharice, Haley Leary, Erin Brown, Quinn Reames, Keith Brooks, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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