Crooked House

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"No. But I'm afraid of them."

So starts a three part ghost story about the Tudor, Geap Manor and the hauntings there.

Part 1. The Wainscot. Joseph Bloxham is flush from the profits of a venture bubble that has left dozens of other investors in ruin. He buys Geap Manor and goes about installing improvements including some fine wainscoting in the drawing room. But there is something unquiet about the wood and at night he hears noises coming from behind the panels.

Part 2. Something Old. Geap House is the venue of a costume party of bright young things in 1927. The host announces his engagement to Ruth Sykes. Soon after Ruth sees visions of a veiled bride gliding among the guests.

Part 3. The Knocker. Geap House has been pulled down but its door knocker turns up in a historian's back garden. He fastens it to his own front door. Then at exactly 2:43 at night; someone or something knocks the door.

Overall I really enjoyed Crooked House, an excellent trio of proper old-fashioned ghost stories.

The Wainscot is the best ghost story and is worth a 9 on its own.

Something Old suffers from a lack of atmosphere, the house never feels threatening.

The door knocker from part three is a brilliant mechanism for a spooky tale and while still good; the latter half of the story does not match the introduction.

Greetings, salutations, and welcome to my considerations and recommendation of Crooked House.

Story: 1.50/2 - Direction and Pace: 2.75/4 - Performances: 1.50/2 - Enjoyment: 1.50/2

TOTAL: 7.25/10

The Crooked House started life as a mini-series but is currently airing on Prime as a decent anthology ghost story movie. I, like Mark Gatiss, love a good horror story. And since he both writes and stars in the tales of terror, I had no doubts that I was in for a treat. And I was.

The three stories are all tied to one house and its troubled past. We pick up the story after a Mr Bloxham purchases it, and even at that period, the house had dark tales spoken about it. Loud banging and scratching in the walls plague Bloxham, along with visions of rot seeping into his newly renovated home. Next, we come to the lovers, who, at a costume party, announce their engagement and upcoming nuptials. However, one spirit in the house who would see them dead rather than wed - The Woman In White. The last tale is the one that started the whole storytelling: At the start of the movie, a man has picked up an old and strange-looking door knocker. He takes it to a local museum, hoping to find some history behind it. The Curator relates the stories to him, but maybe the story hasn't ended: Maybe it's continuing still because the knocker comes from the haunted house, and Ben, its new owner, is having some strange experiences indeed.

Because Mark Gatiss writes all three stories and they're filmed by the same director, Damon Thomas, the film possesses a strong continuity. Gatiss is excellent at creating robust and credible characters and situations. And Thomas was a perfect choice as he utilises lighting and natural shadows to grow the eerie atmosphere. I would never have thought that a corner in an old room would be so creepy, but Thomas makes it happen - he's that good. And luckily for the viewers, the cast is as skilled in their roles, adding depth and character to their portrayals.

The Crooked House was a highly enjoyable anthology of ghost stories, though the door-knocker tale sometimes gets a tad confusing. I would happily recommend the picture for viewing. There are few people tackling ghosts at the moment; it's still zombies of one kind or another. So, if you'd like a breath of fresh air in your horror viewing, give The Crooked House a try.

Check out my Absolute Horror lists to see where I ranked the movie.

Take Care, Stay Well, And Merry Christmas.

Not to be confused with recent Agatha Christie film of the same name. A rather hammy, randomly plotted gothic horror with tedious pace and predictable ending.

Crooked House was an enjoyable and engaging horror film with a great twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Not to give too much away, the film concerns a young man who is told a couple of stories about a house by a museum curator. To say much more would be to give too much away.

Watch it and pay close attention. This is a great movie for British horror film for horror film buffs.

Mark Gatiss has made an encyclopaedic study of the history of horror, then created many gems that only enhance the genre. This beauty is almost familiar to anyone who has read MR James (naturally, extensively) yet is still original, if somewhat easily guessed. That doesn't stop the 3 stories being delicious, especially the last. He takes the familiar structure and adds his delightfully dark imagination to offer new tales that are a delight to lovers of the best horror, which doesn't rely on gore, just a dark imagination. As he's a highly intelligent and hugely talented writer and actor I believe him to be a national treasure. He will always be the natural Mycroft to this Holmes devotee, and that is the highest praise I could offer. British film needs far more of his creativity.