The House on Pine Street (2015)

Director: Aaron KeelingAustin Keeling Starring: Cathy Barnett, Emily Goss, Taylor Bottles, Jim Korinke. USA. 1h 51m

There’s something provocative about a haunted house tale, many directors have used this eternal additional character to emphasise the dark natures within its occupants or at times it’s a portal into a darkness that we neer want to look into. And while there’s some admiration in what Aaron KeelingAustin Keeling as directors have achieved in the bitter ending, there’s a boring tropey slog to get to the good bits.

It’s not a movie that had tons of cash thrown at it, but that’s no excuse, I’ve seen what kids have been doing with scary clips on youtube, but maybe we have seen all there is to see within a haunted home situation and we really need something special now?

The film follows a young couple, moving into a new but very old home, with the attempt to make a forever home for them and their unborn baby. With whispers of a previous tragedy it seems they have been through all this before and this is their redemption.

What haunted house movies should strive to be…

Generally it’s pretty TV movie, run of the mill spooky house, no one believes there’s a ghost apart from the pregnant mother, no one is swayed by the obvious paranormal activity going on and the characters don’t grow beyond their paper thin personas the tired husband, and bossy mother in law are all very average. The one stand out character is a slightly campy friend of the family, a gentleman who’s attuned to certain vibrations and the paranormal who offers a sizable opinion on what’s going on. But the film is more attuned to show bed sheets being pulled back and furniture moving to show there’s something unusual going on.

“I don’t think ghosts have rules Jennifer!”

Of Course someone has to reach out to the spirits and stage a seance but things were always on course to go terribly wrong from the beginning and it was plain to see how things are going to pan out, at least there is an upside to the ending so a tiny reward is waiting for the blessed.

The House on Pine Street (2015) When a pregnant woman and her long-suffering family move into a haunted house, they face a slow-burning ghostly haunting. Tropey haunted house horror with a cool concept but lacks oomph. pic.twitter.com/67gU869Qjk

— Admit 1 Film Addict (@admitonefilmadd) May 28, 2022

Rating: 3/10

Related: Amityville (1979), House by the Cemetery (1981), Rosemarys Baby (1968)
Lists: Haunted houses

Trailer

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