By: Heather Seebach
Ted Geoghegan's directorial debut has all the elements of an old-school spookfest: an old house; a creepy cellar; a small town with a secret; and restless spirits. It also has enough gnarly kills and charred corpses to give any modern-day gore-hound a boner. With that winning combination and a unique script, We Are Still Here is a thoroughly satisfying horror film and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stagnating genre.
Paul and Anne Sacchetti are a middle-aged couple grieving the loss of their teenage son, Bobby. They decide to move to the New England countryside to escape the bad memories but Anne begins to suspect Bobby's spirit has followed them. She invites her psychic friends to the house in an effort to communicate with her son but instead they uncover the house's dark history and the vengeful spirits that still reside there.
The film begins at a slow boil, haunting the viewer with the barren winter landscape, eerie townfolk, and glimpses of shadowy figures moving in the dark. Before long the story picks up pace - and the gore becomes less restrained - right up until the film's intense, bloody climax. The screenplay is full of layers and twists to constantly keep you on your toes. The film also looks lovely at the hands of DP Karim Hussain (Antiviral).
Everyone in the cast is fantastic, from Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensenig as the haunted couple, to Larry Fessenden and Lisa Marie as the married mediums, to Monte Markham's scene-stealing portrayal of a shifty local who knows more than he lets on. Having such genre veterans in front of and behind the lens is a subconscious reminder that this is real horror by fans, for fans.
We Are Still Here is at times a loving homage to 70s/80s horror, especially Fulci's House by the Cemetery, but it never feels recycled. These days, Hollywood's idea of a good ghost movie is watching a door creak on a nanny cam, so thank goodness for indie treasures like this one. Whether you seek chills or thrills, you will find it here - do not hesitate to get your hands on this one!
WE ARE STILL HERE comes to DVD and Blu-ray on October 6th.
Paul and Anne Sacchetti are a middle-aged couple grieving the loss of their teenage son, Bobby. They decide to move to the New England countryside to escape the bad memories but Anne begins to suspect Bobby's spirit has followed them. She invites her psychic friends to the house in an effort to communicate with her son but instead they uncover the house's dark history and the vengeful spirits that still reside there.
The film begins at a slow boil, haunting the viewer with the barren winter landscape, eerie townfolk, and glimpses of shadowy figures moving in the dark. Before long the story picks up pace - and the gore becomes less restrained - right up until the film's intense, bloody climax. The screenplay is full of layers and twists to constantly keep you on your toes. The film also looks lovely at the hands of DP Karim Hussain (Antiviral).
Everyone in the cast is fantastic, from Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensenig as the haunted couple, to Larry Fessenden and Lisa Marie as the married mediums, to Monte Markham's scene-stealing portrayal of a shifty local who knows more than he lets on. Having such genre veterans in front of and behind the lens is a subconscious reminder that this is real horror by fans, for fans.
We Are Still Here is at times a loving homage to 70s/80s horror, especially Fulci's House by the Cemetery, but it never feels recycled. These days, Hollywood's idea of a good ghost movie is watching a door creak on a nanny cam, so thank goodness for indie treasures like this one. Whether you seek chills or thrills, you will find it here - do not hesitate to get your hands on this one!
WE ARE STILL HERE comes to DVD and Blu-ray on October 6th.
