CERT: 15 | PLATFORM: AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, APPLE TV, SKY STORE | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
A young woman inherits her grandfather’s rambling old house following his unexpected death. As she sets to work bringing the place up to scratch, she is beset by unnerving phenomena that suggest the building is in the thrall of troubled and disturbed spirits.
The premise for new micro-budget indie horror Echoes of Fear won’t win awards for originality. But there’s much in this self-assured haunted house flick to enjoy. Most of the movie’s weight rests on the shoulders of Trista Robinson in the role of Alisa, a confident young woman afflicted with a terrible taste in boyfriends. In her characterisation, Robinson finds just right the mix of bewilderment and determination to win over the audience’s sympathy. As Alisa is drawn to investigate the secrets of the house, she becomes convinced of a connection between her grandfather’s home and the unsolved disappearance of another young woman.
Shot in the home of the husband and wife who wrote and directed the film, the cinematography and sound design of Echoes of Fear are both strong. As Alisa creeps along hallways and down stairwells to investigate the source of bangs and clatters, the sense of rising dread is nicely evoked. That mix of mounting foreboding and made-you-jump boo-shocks is pushed forward through what’s a very focused script.
It helps that, while Alisa is brave to the point of being wilful, she’s not stupid. When the baleful influence of the house becomes too much, she flees to a hotel for the night only to find that there’s to be no respite until the mysteries of the house are brought into the light.
The plot includes enough misdirects, dead-ends and suspicious-looking pop-up locals to keep the viewer guessing. Gradually, the nature of the crimes that have been committed under this roof become clear and the finger of suspicion points towards some all-too-likely suspects.
The film’s endgame pivots to uncover acts of human wickedness, turning away from a full-on paranormal fright-fest to reveal the hidden reasons for the haunting. It makes for a serviceable enough showdown, but it’s a less exciting outcome than the skilful and intriguing build-up suggested was in store.
