I "Really Liked It" Haunter: A good starter horror movie for teens looking for something original

My wife and I watched Haunter, and it was a pretty average movie with a somewhat original idea. Anyone that has seen the movie The Others, pretty much knows this movie, but whereas The Others goes for a more adult story, this one is set up perfectly for teenagers.

            Haunter is a good movie that almost feels like a longer episode of Medium or something along those lines. My wife loved Medium and I saw a few episodes but it was never really my thing.

            The pacing of Haunter is good and the creepyness is well done, and even though we knew almost exactly what was going to happen throughout the movie, there were brief moments that threw little curve balls that were never enough to shake the whole movie up, but were enough to make us comment how that thing was original, or how they did that thing was cool. We kept watching it because of those moments. This movie very easily could have put me to sleep but the moments that shined through the rest of the movie were enough to keep me interested  . . . and awake.

            Though I haven’t seen or read many teen movies, or movies based on popular teen books, I’m guessing that this movie would appeal to those who enjoy movies like that. The teen daughter is quick to catch everything that is wrong and her dumb parents are not, in fact that almost persecute her for trying to point things out that would involve the parents listening to her and believing in her.

            This movie is – like the teen books – a good starter for a teen to watch and see that a movie does not have to be about the usual monsters, and if it involves ghosts it does not have to show them or their situation in the usual way. This movie gives a younger audience a fresh look on the haunted house scenario and would hopefully send them away with the idea that doing something different with something that is well known is a good thing. It can be a miss, and more often than not it is, but there are times when the chance taken works out, but whether it works out or not, the chance taken is always better than the chance not taken.

            There were two things that made me like this movie. The first was the first girl’s dad, he did a great job here, and was the main reason I kept watching because his change from good father to pretty horrible and creepy as hell father was great. The whole set up when he changes, from the little boy waking his sister up by telling her that he’s hiding and then she hears the fighting going on, it was then – it was moments like that – that my wife and I did not know what was going to happen, nor did we know yet what exactly was happening to him. It was a great scene that was well done by everyone in the movie, as well as those who directed it and set it up.

            The other thing that saved this movie was Stephen McHattie. That guy is great in everything that he does, and here is no exception. I have been a fan of this guy since I saw Pontypool and am always on the lookout for anything that he is in. Know what, parents, need some alone time? Have teens? Put Haunter on for them in one room and then you guys watch Pontypool in the other. My Valentines Day present to you.