The Hopewell Haunting

I don't really understand the amount of downvoting for this movie. After finishing it I can say this is definitely a very solid horror flick. It does the basic things well. Great dialogue, and atmosphere is A1.

If you are expecting going into this movie then you probably shouldn't watch any movie. Let it surprise you and set its own expectations. It is obviously a low budget horror flick, but I believe that adds to its haunting atmosphere. It reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe horror. Very old school phantom vibes. If you are wanting 13 and a thousand ghost jumpscare bananza, go watch insidious. If you want a truly well written old school style horror movie this is perfect.

This film was a whole lot of nothing. Nothing happens at all. It's world-record-level boring. There's no character development. There's no emotional experience. It isn't remotely horror. Or a thriller. It's not suspenseful. It's not entertaining. It's not campy. It's got nothing going for it. The whole thing feels like clickbait.

The acting is so painfully awful, you just can't get past it. And the script is even worse. The only redeeming quality was the atmosphere and possibly a little of the cinematography, but since everything else was completely butchered, it doesn't do much. The sound editing could have been fantastic and eerie but instead of being tactful and subtle, it was completely obnoxious, failing to have its intended effect.

I am giving two stars because I somehow got conned into watching to the end thinking MAYBE something redeeming would happen in the final five minutes. It didn't.

Please do yourself a favor and skip this. I seriously implore you to not waste your time. This isn't even worth playing in the background. It isn't worth watching for horror connoisseurs, completionists, or anyone expecting horror or any of its elements in any capacity whatsoever. This is easily in the top 10 worst films I've ever sat through.

Loved it. Aside from the very haunting scenery and authentic acting, it had many edge-of-the-seat scary elements with a conclusive and thoughtful ending. The period in time and the scenes really add to the overall melancholy vibe. The scary parts deliver well. I was peeking through my fingers a few times. It had a wonderful, deeper storyline that lent to a greater understanding of the main character's struggles. There was a sad element too, which I won't reveal. And surprisingly, there were a few happy emotions as well. Good story with a decipherable ending. We love a thoroughly good, quality haunt, and this truly delivered.

There is nothing elaborate or groundbreaking about this movie. It's simple. But it was a very effective movie. The ambience was riddled with dark fear. Don't expect a thrill ride. But, I have I admit, I watched it at 1am and ended up turning on the light. It was very well done for what it is, a time-piece horror. I doubt they had a particularly large budget, but they definitely did what they could with what they had. The acting was good as well. I think you should watch it, I'm glad I did.

Something I wonder is if the house was just a set or an actual house that exists somewhere. I wouldn't want to be in there alone.

I watched this on a whim, with zero expectations going in, was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. The other ratings make for it to seem like a "bad" horror film.

Out the gate you can tell it's a low budget film and you think it's gonna be the same tropes use in every other horror movie out there.

The location, time period, and soundtrack make for a spooky nerve racking experience. The camera work from normal switching to POV is a great touch.

If you're looking for a movie that's gore and jump scares at every turn, you're going to be disappointed. If you enjoy the classics from the likes of Karloff and Chaney with more subtlety and coming to your own conclusions, recommend this movie.