joejhrobinson
I know I'm probably going to be in the minority here, but I really wasn't much of a fan of Ghost Stories. I have heard so many people rant about how it's a fine example of British horror, but honestly, I really don't see it. The performances are pretty solid and the movie mostly looks decent, but for me, the majority of the movie was boring and pointless. The strongest portions are those that follow our protagonist, played by Andy Nyman, as he follows the leads given to him by an old man, which he was unable to solve. The setup isn't too bad and shows some promise, but when we get down to the actual cases, things begin to fall apart. The first case is one focusing on an aging man, played by Paul Whitehouse, who used to be a security guard in an old abandoned factory. The entirety of this segment basically consists of Whitehouse walking around a bit, then getting attacked by a ghost-thing. That's pretty much it. So after I watched this first section, I was kind of underwhelmed, but I stuck with it, hoping the next case would be more intriguing. Unfortunately, it really wasn't. The next one involves a young man, played by the talented Alex Lawther, who runs over the devil in his car. The premise isn't awful, but the story goes absolutely nowhere and ends with Lawther getting attacked by an evil tree-monster.The third story is by far the most boring and follows Martin Freeman as he readies a nursery for his unborn child. He walks around for what feels like an age, before he has a vision of his wife and the story ends. There's an okay scene where Freeman shoots himself in the head, before we move on to the final story. This one, unlike the others, concerns Nyman himself, as he returns to the old man. This section begins pretty terribly, as the old man pulls off his face, which we could all tell was obviously a mask since the beginning. Martin Freeman is revealed to be under the mask, but... isn't he dead?! Wow, what a plot twist! Though the opening of this story isn't great, I actually found this to be by far the most interesting portion of the movie and I won't spoil it for anyone who's going to watch it (though I am aware that I have spoiled the entirety of the movie up to this point). Funnily enough, I've heard many people say that this last section was their least favourite part of the film, but for me, it was the only part that actually had a worthwhile story. The big twist at the end isn't anything particularly new, but to be honest, I didn't think it was that bad. While there are much worse horror movies than Ghost Stories, for me, it mainly came across as a mediocre anthology movie, with little of any genuine interest, outside of the final story. I feel like the movie does a good job at disguising how little plot there actually is, so I really wasn't much of a fan (but I know a ton of people who loved it so maybe I'm just an idiot).
elliotte2
The movie is a slow build, enticing the viewer on what will happen next. Acting, screenplay and pace all works well. And just as you are waiting for the payoff, the last 20 minutes goes completely downhill. It is okay to have a twist, but if the twist leaves you feeling empty, then it has lost it effect. I do not do spoilers, but read the other comments first(believe me, they are true) before watching this.Positive note: Martin Freeman can really steal a scene.
kieronclarke-31045
Not sure how well this worked on stage but it was absolute crap on film. A waste of some good acting talent the director /actor should go and watch some more films, or go back to film school or just quit and get a job at Mcdonalds. Completely without suspense and the ending was s***e.
jtindahouse
There are some films that simply have to be reviewed using spoilers. I don't like to do it, but on occasions like this it is simply unavoidable. I take extensive measures to know as little about a film before going into it as possible (I even avoid trailers wherever possible). 'Ghost Stories' was a film I knew almost zero about other than that Martin Freeman was in it and it was classified as a drama/horror (whatever that means). Very early on in the film we meet a character who is supposedly an old man. Being quite familiar with him as an actor I said to myself that is Martin Freeman in heavy make-up. Sure enough it is revealed later in the movie that that was indeed the case. Now I'm not sure whether the make-up was supposed to be intentionally revealing, but I very much doubt it. I feel I would've enjoyed the reveal much more when it came around if I hadn't already suspected it over an hour ago. I can only guess the make-up budget wasn't quite high enough to pull it off properly. This is very much a retrospective film. You are asked to look back and reconsider everything you've seen. That element to it I really liked. The ending is unquestionably the strongest part. The three horror stories told through the middle are on the other hand of the mixed bag variety. There are very strong moments in each of the stories, but ultimately they were a little tedious and forgettable. They were of course serving a purpose for later on, but I still feel they could have been done with a little more creativity - particularly the second one.Martin Freeman is a breathe of fresh air in this film. He really shows the rest of the cast up it has to be said with his class, charisma and screen-presense. When I thought it was going to be a straight up horror movie I was a little concerned about whether his star-power would take me out of the horror mind-frame. Knowing now how the story plays out though I think he was an excellent choice for his role. There's certainly enough creativity and originality to make 'Ghost Stories' worthy of a watch.
