In 2014, it was THE BABADOOK. Last year, It was IT FOLLOWS. What do these have in common with this flick? They were all hyped as the hot new horror film and I found them to be dismal disappointments. Call me old fashioned, but I like my horror films to be scary. This one is steeped in an interesting period setting (New England, 1630) and drowned in an ominous soundtrack, but the creepy pace and lame shocks don’t make it remotely riveting. A farmer and his family set out on their own, only to be haunted by an unknown evil. True, it’s a compelling concept, but it also lacks any suspense. It doesn’t help that much of the “thee” and “hither” dialect is hard to follow. This is more a period drama in the vein of Miller’s THE CRUCIBLE or one of those Japanese ghost movies, neither of which is ever frightening. (Harvey Scrimshaw as the young son makes an impressive debut).
(2 / 5)