This is the debut feature of TV series director Murphy, and it's evident he has not yet become proficient with the change of medium, with the film suffering from a flatness of lighting and dramatic build-up characteristic of a standard BBC production. It's strong on mood, at least, and critically for a horror piece delivers well on chills, but suffers a great deal from comparison with its obvious and more self-assured sources, namely The Others, The Shining, The Sixth Sense and most blatantly the lesser known El Orfanato, being weighed down by too much clunky dialogue and plot inconsistencies. Rebecca Hall does a good Shelley Duvall turn as the lead in fear of loss of her sanity, but it's not quite enough to overcome the sum of debts and intrinsic deficiencies.
5/10
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