PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Imagine living your dream career of debunking supernatural hoaxes and, one day, your childhood idol – the one who inspired your work – sends you a package including a personalized recorded message. Would this shock you? What if the individual also happened to be missing and presumed dead? I’m sure suspicion would accompany an overwhelming sense of curiosity. This is the case for supernatural investigator and skeptic Professor Phillip Goodman in Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s full-feature directorial team-up debut, Ghost Stories.
When Professor Goodman (Nyman) meets Doctor Charles Cameron (Leonard Byrne), a psychologist who spent his life explaining the unexplainable, he is presented with three chilling cases the doctor was never able to solve. Always the hardened cynic, Goodman believes Cameron has lost his mind. He embarks on a mission to surpass the master in his field. What unravels is an anthology of three unnerving supernatural tales that test the limits of Goodman’s rational mind.
After interviewing a night watchman (Paul Whitehouse: Corpse Bride 2005), a man haunted by a night of terror he experienced while patrolling an abandoned asylum, Goodman believes these cases will not be so difficult to explain. However, events become more complicated when he visits the home of Simon Rifkind (Alex Lawther: Black Mirror TV series, The End of the F***ing World TV series), whose life was turned upside down after a car accident and a horrifying encounter. Taking a bewildering turn, Goodman proceeds to speak with Mike Priddle (Martin Freeman: The Hobbit series, Sherlock TV series, Black Panther 2018), who tells the professor a terrifying story that involves a visit from his unborn child in the form of a poltergeist.
While trudging through these cases with the vague explanation that the brain sees what it wants to see, something from Goodman’s own past makes several appearances, making things more personal. Erupting into a mind-bending climax, Ghost Stories redefines the saying, “Not everything is what it appears to be.”
Amidst a powerful cast, Martin Freeman steals the screen, flexing his acting versatility. Ghost Stories challenges Freeman to display a character range different from his previous work. However, the British actor steps up to the challenge, giving an outstanding performance. Having several notable roles under his belt, it is exciting to see this talented actor dip into horror.
While I hope this will not be Freeman’s last appearance in the horror genre, it is not the only thing that makes Ghost Stories a unique, must-see feature. Beginning as a mockumentary, the film transitions into an interconnected anthology before taking a trip down the memory lane of Goodman’s character. Finally exploding into an abstract climax, the film makes you wonder what is real and what is a figment of Goodman’s imagination, which is infected by guilt from his haunting past.
Though there are some borderline clichés and some material that could have been explored further, Dyson and Nyman prove with their first full-feature that this will likely not be their last. Personally, I’m excited to see what this directing duo comes up with next!
