SYNOPSIS
After being hypnotized at a party, a blue-collar Chicago dad starts receiving visions of a dead girl in his home.
OPINION
One of the tightest ghost movies ever made, Stir of Echoes confidently transports the haunted-house trope into a modern home in an urban neighbourhood. Every performance is on point - I'm not qualified to judge Bacon's accent, but it feels right to me - and every role is meaty; Bacon's slow decline into obsession, Erbe's fully-justified domestic anger, and Douglas's urban-witch sister all play off of each other in realistically-felt ways. The fact that it's a visual delight is gravy; Stir of Echoes will creep you out for days.
CAST + CREW
Director: David Koepp (Premium Rush, Secret Window)
Cast: Kevin Bacon (Tremors, Cop Car, The Woodsman)
Kathryn Erbe (Kiss of Death, Assassination Nation)
Illeana Douglas (Cape Fear, Grace of My Heart, Otis)
CONTENT (spoilered; highlight for warnings)
violence against women, sexual assault, fingernail violence, child abduction, haunting, claustrophobia
CAREER STATS [on a scale from 1 (least) to 10 (most)]
FUN: 8
A balance of mystery and good spooks in a relatable setting.
SCARINESS: 7
Extremely scary ghost stuff. Archetypal in a good way.
INTENSITY: 8
The plot can get too real; the ghosts are not your enemy.
RECOMMENDABILITY: 10
Absolutely an underrated classic of haunted-home horror.
SEE ALSO:
The Sixth Sense, What Lies Beneath, Secret Window
