The Quiet Ones

 

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, BN, V]

Distributor   Lionsgate [2014]

Technical  HD  1.85:1 1.37:1

Genre  HOR THR

Runtime   98 mins.

Country   UK

Budget  $??M

 

 

CAST

Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne & Olivia Cooke

 

CREDITS

Director: John Pogue; Screenwriters: Craig Rosenberg, Oren Moverman & John Pogue; based on a screenplay by Tom de Ville; Producers: James Gay-Rees, Simon Oakes, Tobin Armbrust, Steven Chester Prince & Ben Holden; Director Of Photography: Mátyás Erdély; Production Designer: Matthew Gant; Editor: Glenn Garland; Costume Designer: Camille Benda; Music Composer: Lucas Vidal

 

THE SYNOPSIS

The University of Oxford, 1974. Brilliant but arrogant parapsychology professor Dr. Joseph Coupland (Harris) enlists the aid of pupils Krissi (Richards) & boyfriend Harry (Fleck-Byrne) as well as audio-visual cameraman Brian (Claflin)—who is to document everything via 16mm film—to work on a special research project involving a disturbed young woman named Jane Harper (Cooke).

Coupland aims to “cure” her of her purported phantasmagorical possession using untested and potentially groundbreaking protocols. When the University shutters the program, Coupland and his colleagues relocate to a remote, dilapidated estate to continue Jane’s experiments—which include sleep deprivation, psychic evaluation and séances.

Eventually, Jane manifests a poltergeist she calls “Evey”. Then, the hoodoo really hits the fan as Evey makes it known that she is a very angry and violent manifestation. Brian falls for Jane and wants to help her—convinced that Coupland’s methods are hurting her. It all comes to a head one night when Evey goes on a paranormal rampage. No one is left unscathed as the blood runs and the walls burn…

 

THE CRITIQUE

Recalling the type of horror movies Hammer Films used to make between the 1950s-1970s, THE QUIET ONES is a genre movie that makes the noble attempt of creating horror out of spooky locations, bumps in the attic and that very English mannerism of drawing the suspense out until the final Act. Charming. But what may have worked in the days of yore—like the mesmerizing The Uninvited (1944) or the fantastic The Haunting (1963) or the eerie The Legend Of Hell House (1973) or the creepy Ghost Story (1981)—does not really translate to ghost movies of today.

Make no mistake: the atmosphere and restraint of gore is the breath of fresh air prevalent in THE QUIET ONES, Hammer’s newest effort after its 2007 revival—following the scarier (and better) The Woman In Black (2012). This one takes its time to set up the story, characters and mood. Good…but it does so with a rather bland disposition.  Based (or more accurately, inspired) by true events, the movie was originally written by a former actor named Tom de Ville—who based his screenplay on “The Phillip Experiment” (a series of paranormal experiments performed in Toronto, Canada in the 1970s). The true events, though not remotely as violent as its screen progeny, were actually filmed and documented. To read about the experiments and the characters associate with it, click here.

Apparently, the producers felt that the screenplay was lacking, so Aussie scribe Craig Robertson (After The Sunset, The Uninvited [2009], 7500), NYC’s own Oren Moverman (writer/director of The Messenger & Rampart) and Yale University alum John Pogue (U.S. Marshals, The Skulls, Rollerball [2002], Ghost Ship) came in to write other drafts. What the latter two scribes came up with is not bad, as moving the story to England was probably a good idea. Adding that psychosexual triangle involving the patient, the cameraman and the professor surely spiced things up a bit—though the eventual PG-13 rating keeps it rather tame at best.

What dampens the screenplay’s chances of being a really great scare is the destructive third act, where it all goes to flames (literally) and the here-to-fore level-headed and scientific Professor descends into the mad scientist realm—perhaps possessed himself by the malevolent poltergeist? Not really made clear. Neither is the illogical assumption that Coupland’s students Krissi & Harry and Brian the cameraman have nothing else to do in their own lives—like, ya know, go to other classes (for the formers) and shoot audio/visual projects for his employer, the University (for the latter). But hey, I get it: hanging around a possessed scary chick sure has its allure. Believe me, I’ve been down that road before…

THE QUIET ONES is competently directed by the aforementioned John Pogue (Quarantine 2: Terminal)—who employs classic chills rather than gore (and minimal CGI FX) in an attempt to be present a different horror film. Sadly, the result (while commendable) is bland in execution. I bring this up only because recent ghost movies like The Conjuring (2013; directed by horror-meister James Wan) and Sinister (2012; directed by horror-meister Scott Derrickson) were better and scarier movies. The fact that they were also R-rated—as opposed to the PG-13—may explain why.

Let’s face it: horror movies should be R-rated, dammit! But I digress…

The cast does their part to tell the tale—with terrific veteran British actor Jared Harris (son of the late, great actor Richard Harris) leading the small cast of relative unknowns—although Brits Olivia Cooke & Sam Claflin have been getting Stateside exposure recently in A&E’s Bates Motel (Cooke) and the big screen’s The Hunger Games Saga (Claflin), respectively. The Welsh Richards (Open Grave) and Irish Fleck-Byrne (Vampire Academy) barely register beyond being photogenic poltergeist fodder.

Production values for this multi-million dollar affair are rock solid. No production budget has been reported as of yet, but I’ll guestimate that it came in at around $10 million. Regardless, the production makes great use of Oxford University and the surrounding English region of Oxfordshire. The rain and gloomy weather were free, by the way.

Credit the handsome HD-lensing to Hungarian cinematographer Mátyás Erdély (Delta, Miss Bala)—who manages to create strong images (via the ARRI^® ALEXA camera system) in both the high-key lighting schema as well as in the shadows of darkness. As I understand it, the 16mm film sequences were also lensed in HD—and then denigrated via special filters to give the found footage that film-like veneer. Solid. But one question: if you have actor Sam Claflin lugging around a real 16mm camera—why not use the equipment and really film these sequences on film?

Regardless, the found footage and HD movie footage come together seamlessly thanks to Rob Zombie’s regular cutter Glenn Garland (The Devil’s Rejects, the Halloween & Halloween II remakes, The Lords Of Salem). This much I can say: unlike other “found footage” horror movies—like The Blair Witch Project (1999), [REC] (2007), the Paranormal Activity series (2009-present)—THE QUIET ONES does not simply rely on the 16mm footage to tell the story. Garland and his director make a clear distinction between that 16mm footage and the diegetic lensing of the movie itself not only by the use of the aforementioned film filters, but by also (and correctly) shifting the movie’s aspect ratio from 1.85:1 (movie) to 1.37:1 (16mm footage) throughout—and without being overly-jarring in execution. Nicely done!

Production Designer Matthew Gant (an English craftsman known for British TV projects) does a great job for presenting the creepy, dilapidated estate where the main crux of the movie occurs, as does newbie Costume Designer Camille Benda for creating believable period costumes. Spaniard composer Lucas Vidal (The Raven [2012], Fast & Furious 6) creeps us out with an appropriately moody score.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

THE QUIET ONES presents as an atmospheric yet bland horror entry from the revered & revamped Hammer Films entity. Retro chills accentuate strong production values and bucolic English setting, but ultimately falls short of true horror. You could say that this one doesn’t have a ghost of a chance of gliding itself into the top echelon of its horror sub-genre.

 

 

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2235779/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quiet_Ones_(2014_film)

Official Site:          http://www.thequietonesmovie.com