The Haunting of #24 (2005)

Dir: Sean Hogan

(aka Lie Still)

Okay. A low budget British horror film that isn't like watching someone's home videos is shocking enough in itself, but this one's actually REALLY good to boot. A haunted house movie with serious nods to both MR James and Kubrick's "Shining", this atmospheric chiller tells the archetypal ghost paranoia tale: a man moves into a grotty bedsit after a relationship break-up and finds himself possibly tormented by the supernatural inhabitants. It's not exactly a surprise how events pan out, but it's done so well that I found myself repeatedly shocked into jumping by the beautifully orchestrated scares and genuinely creepy set-pieces that make "1408"'s overblown theatrics look laughable. It's refreshing to see a film that can be dark, artfully photographed, intelligently scripted and SCARY, even without much of a budget. Just proves that a little natural talent can go a long way. A very pleasant surprise. ***1/2