Overshadowed by The Sixth Sense at the time of release, this Richard Matheson adaptation has found its appeal ascend further than M. Night’s ghostly twist.
Sceptical Tom (Kevin Bacon) is pressured into being hypnotised by his sister-in-law, Lisa (Illeana Douglas), at a party. To Lisa’s surprise, Tom is very susceptible and gives the rest of the party attendees a good laugh at what he revealed. In the following days, however, he develops headaches and begins to see a young girl, Samantha (Jennifer Morrison), in their house. Samantha had gone missing months earlier, but Tom and Maggie’s (Kathryn Erbe) young son Jake (Zachary David Cope) also talks to her as his imaginary friend. As the visions increase, Tom is determined to find out why Samantha is haunting him.
Adapting Matheson’s novel, director David Koepp has crafted a fabulous movie. With well-handled jump scares and an emotional core, Stir of Echoes gives Kevin Bacon a role in which he can really immerse himself. Also surprisingly good is youngster Zachary David Cope. Child actors are usually an issue, but not here. It’s a shame he didn’t go on to make anything else. He’s not the focus of the story, however, and his ‘gift’ of seeing spirits isn’t explored enough, but Bacon’s descent into obsession is the rightful emphasis. The mystery of the missing girl is signposted well enough to not be a surprise, but the emotive beats are what drive the tale more than twists or shocks.
Imprint’s Blu-ray gives us the ideal chance to rediscover this minor classic and is supported by a large array of extras. As well as the inevitable contemporary behind the scenes featurettes, there are a number of new interviews that give plenty of insight into the production and what it was like working on what was a low budget film by Hollywood standards.
