When David
Ash (Aidan Quinn) investigates a
haunting at an isolated country
manor, strange and horrifying
consequences lead him to first
doubt his convictions and then
his sanity. As the sordid
history of the estate's family
is revealed, and
David falls
in love with Christina (Kate
Beckinsale), he begins to see
the ghostly image of a young
girl calling out to him from an
unearthly terror he could never
have imagined.
When a professor investigates an
alleged haunting at a secluded
mansion in the country, he is
horrified by strange occurrences,
shocked by the mansion's
dreadful history, and entranced
by the young woman who resides
in the menacing house.
When a boarder at the Mariell
manor reportedly sees ghosts,
Professor David Ash (Aidan Quinn)
makes a house call to
investigate. As he attempts to
rationalize the possibility of
ghosts, he falls for the
alluring Christina Mariell (Kate
Beckinsale) and soon finds
himself spotting specters as
well. Based on the novel by
James Herbert, HAUNTED is
director Lewis Gilbert's first
endeavor into horror, and he
succeeds spectacularly. The film
features his quick-paced style
of action, evinced in his James
Bond films, THE SPY WHO LOVED
ME, MOONRAKER, and YOU ONLY LIVE
TWICE, but is also reminiscent
of his noir-like films, CAST A
DARK SHADOW and TOUGH GUY. A
drastic departure from his
previous film, 1991's light,
feel-good STEPPING OUT, HAUNTED
is a modern take on an
old-fashioned macabre tale and
an essential film for any horror
fan. |