![]() Like the much better, creepier, “ Sixth Sense”, this film will scare young children. ![]() Why would the good shepherd leave someone wandering in outer darkness simply because of said person’s violent death? In this case, I find it hard-put to believe that victims of violent deaths end up becoming ghosts. However, sometimes Christians are forced to make a judgment. Beliefs about the afterlife are so intertwined with people’s spiritual, emotional and denominational make-up-and that Christian’s personal history-that in situations where major Christian beliefs aren’t affected or dismissed, many Christians tend to reserve judgment and avoid spiritual catfights. Ghosts are called psychological hallucinations, demonic entities, lost souls who need to be prayed for or who need to have the gospel preached to them, folks with important messages from the other side. I’ve heard many kinds of explanations about ghosts and haunted houses. This is the kind of movie that almost demands that Christians have some kind of spiritual answer. And the ghost who is haunting his mind (and his family) wants him to do something. After all, it’s his chance to be special. Granted, he’s not as talented as his more “sensitive” son, but he’s game. The next thing the audience knows is Tom has become a “receiver”. His flaky new-ager sister-in-law challenges him to a hypnosis session. He tells his wife he had not known his life would be so “ordinary.” His ordinariness is about to change. Money is tight and Tom’s musical aspirations have all but faded. Minutes after the opening credits, Tom (another well-played middle-class Kevin Bacon character) learns his wife Maggie is pregnant with their second child. It also tackles the idea of “good neighborhoods” and our culture’s tendency to aspire to specialness. While The Sixth Sense was 1999's most successful kids-see-ghosts movie, Stir of Echoes is a satisfying horror mystery that makes the most of its source material from thoughtful horror author Richard Matherson.“Stir of Echoes” echoes much of today’s spiritualism. This switch and the tense drama that plays out gets it past the finish line without fumble. Here though, the horror is far more human, as Tom discovers a murder cover-up in his seemingly perfect neighborhood. Late 1990s horror movies had a tendency to set up well and then throw a dodgy monster in for the final act. For example, an abrasive red screen effect momentarily makes us share Tom's searing headache. Some nifty filmmaking brings us into Tom's confusing and hypersensitive world as he struggles with dizzying hallucinations and bizarre dreams. ![]() But it keeps in mind that it's a movie first and foremost, and its job is to entertain. By no means does it trivialize its subjects of sexual assault, murder, guilt, and cover-ups. Stir of Echoes has dark themes, a creepy tone, a couple of well-earned jump scares, and a compelling murder mystery. This effective horror movie manages the right balance of nasty plot points with a sense of fun. A character is called out for referring to a girl with learning disabilities as "the retard." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails. The movie has frequent strong language, including variants of "f-k" and "s-t." There is also smoking, drinking - to excess - and a reference to being high from pot. There is also a suicide attempt, and people are shot and stabbed with gory close-ups. There are a number of upsetting scenes, including a sexual assault and murder mostly shown from the victim's point of view. Tom becomes obsessed with this and makes his wife, Maggie ( Kathryn Erbe), feel isolated, though their relationship is strong and survives. Based on a 1958 novel by Richard Matheson, Kevin Bacon plays Tom, who starts to see visions of a dead girl in his house after being hypnotized. Parents need to know that Stir of Echoes is a 1999 murder-mystery horror movie with violent scenes - including a sexual assault and attempted suicide - jump scares, and strong language.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |