The story, at its core is a great- conceptually. It takes the basics of a creepy, haunted house tale and layers in a couple of complexities that heightens the interest level. . For most of what "Echoes Of Fear" is, it is really chilling, dark and well directed. There is some moments when expositional stuff feels forced. At times line delivery weakens story momentum.
The inconsistency is only barely noticeable, and for the most part the film is strong. The acting is good, at times great. The characters are developed and the cast never take them too far into 'theatrics'. It is obvious this is ultra indie work, still Brian and Laurence Avenet-Bradley create a cool, atmospheric thriller.
The horror elements are a mix of traditional haunted house tropes, chilling visual scenes and very dark subject matter. Most of the gimmicks are practical effects with expected CGI work. It all is well controlled, purposeful and affective. The jump scares are genuine moments and just going along with the main character uncovering such a disturbing past is horror done right.
Overall "Echoes Of Fear" has more to like than I initially expected. It isn't sensationalized for the sake of sensationalism, but it keeps a chilling, "this house possessed" attitude from start to finish. The paranormal tricks used look good, the build up of suspense and tension is gripping. There are a couple of minor issues with some of the writing- the ones I mentioned earlier but definitely check this one out if paranormal horror is your thing.
