Ghost Stories (2018)

"Great British Horror"

I don't get to say that much these days but this really is. The poster claims GHOST STORIES is 'the best British horror in years' which isn't actually that difficult an achievement, but it does prove that even The Sun can get things right occasionally. Anyway, the movie version of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman's popular stage play is now getting a digital download, DVD and Blu-ray release from Lionsgate so you don't have to take my (or The Sun's) word for it. But if you're still undecided, read on.

Philip Goodman (Andy Nyman) is a professor who specialises in defrauding stage psychics. We already know he is haunted by some occurrence in his childhood from the grainily shot opening title sequence, but it's only when he's approached by his own personal hero in the world of psychic detection that he finds his world starting to unravel.

Goodman is tasked with investigating three cases of the supernatural, which lead us into three vignettes. While GHOST STORIES has been described by some as an anthology (like the old Amicus films) it's unfair to label it as such, as the segments aren't so much stories as fragments that contribute to an overall whole. Therefore, don't expect twist endings, neat conclusions, or anything especially finite about each of these stories.

Do, however, expect everything to be tied very neatly together at the end, so much so that GHOST STORIES actually works better on a second viewing because then you're primed as to what to look out for. 

I still missed things, though, but everything is very helpfully pointed out on the excellent commentary track from writers and directors Dyson and Nyman. As well as that, they list their influences (which are often scene specific). I've said elsewhere that the British author's work that GHOST STORIES most feels like is Ramsey Campbell and sure enough he is among those mentioned, along with Robert Aickman, M R James and the good old Pan Book of Horror Stories to which there's a visual tribute that also needed pointing out to me by the commentary.

I was also delighted to learn that the two of them were big fans of the Israeli movie BIG BAD WOLVES, and that there's at least one scene in the film that's in homage. It's also how they ended up getting WOLVES' composer Frank Ilfman to do the terrific, operatic music score.

Other extras include a making of featurette and five minutes of seeing the score being recorded. These two items are all you get on the DVD. The commentary is exclusive to the Blu-ray, as are two other featurettes: The Brain Sees What It Wants to See and The Rorschach Test.

So is GHOST STORIES the 'best British horror in years'? It's certainly on a par with 2015's THE BORDERLANDS. Mind you, THE BORDERLANDS didn't have a gag about Tigon brand cat food. Definitely recommended. 

Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman's GHOST STORIES is out from Lionsgate on digital download on Monday 20th August with the DVD &Blu-ray release the week after 

on Monday 27th August 2018