The Haunting

This modern remake of a classic horror movie doesn’t win many accolades and falls mostly flat.

The Gist: A psychology professor lures unknowing test subjects to an uninhabited mansion, mostly segregated from the outside world, to test the sensation of fear in the human mind.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the mansion is really uninhabited.

Liam Neeson looks very stiff and Catherine Zeta-Jones feels too theatrical (I still find her quite sub-par as an actress, Oscar or not).  Owen Wilson and Lily Taylor on the contrary, look more at ease and better fill their characters’ shoes.

I was surprised to see that the movie was directed by famed action director Jan de Bont, whose body of work I mostly like.  Clearly, there was weakness in every department here, from the screenplay, to the direction, to the acting.  The only effective elements seemed to be the visual effects.

The Bottom Line: I’d stay away from it.  The scares are few and the the fun even less.

Grade: 3