I remember hearing that Martin Freeman was in Ghost Stories (2017) but I never actually got around to giving it a look, until now that is. I quite often wait for films to make their way on to Blu-ray rather than heading to the cinema. That said some films really are worth watching on the big screen given the opportunity. In any case I’ll give you my thoughts on this British horror movie. So without further ado here’s my Ghost Stories blu-ray review.
- Ghost Stories (2017)
- Genre: Horror
- Directed by Jeremy Dyson / Andy Nyman
- Story by Jeremy Dyson / Andy Nyman
- UK Rating 15
- Discs: 1
- Released By Lionsgate
- Blu-ray Released: 1 January 2019
Plot
Professor Phillip Goodman makes a living by debunking fraudulent psychics and paranormal activity on his television show. He receives an invitation from the man that inspired him as a boy to take up his profession, Charles Cameron. In fact Cameron’s own story is a strange one as he disappeared from public life without a trace many years ago after debunking countless paranormal frauds.
Phillip Goodman jumps at the chance to meet his idol but the man he finds is neither a well man nor a nice one. Charles Cameron insists Goodman take a look at three cases he was unable to debunk and report back if they really are true.
Style / Direction
The film is directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman. Meanwhile the cinematography is handled by Ole Bratt Birkeland. First things first this is incredibly well directed and shot movie.
The camera angles are fabulous creating just the right amount of tension whilst the overall cinematography is excellent. There are some really unnerving wide landscape shots that really send a chill down your spine. Unlike most current horror films there isn’t just a generic blue tinge or filter added. No Ghost Stories seems to have been shot by someone that really knows how to make a really stylish horror film. I guess we have Ole Bratt Birkeland and both directors to thank for that one.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is provided by Frank Ilfman and it really does create a somewhat unsettling mood.
Acting / Characters
There only a relatively small cast including Andy Nyman, Martin Freeman and Paul Whitehouse which will be familiar to most people. The performances from the entire cast are rather remarkable. It really does add to the overall unnerving tone the film has already set with its visual style and music.
Cast
- Andy Nyman as Professor Phillip Goodman
- Martin Freeman as Mike Priddle
- Paul Whitehouse as Tony Matthews
- Alex Lawther as Simon Rifkind
- Daniel Hill as Mr Goodman
Conclusion: Ghost Stories (2017) Film Review
Let me sum up what this movie is. It’s an intelligently written horror that’s vision is expertly delivered on to the screen. In many ways this is like one of the classic Amicus horror anthologies I loved so much.
I cannot recommend Ghost Stories (2017) enough it really does tick all of the boxes. It has a great story well told and acted with excellent cinematography and unsettling music. It really is that good!
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Conclusion: Ghost Stories Blu-ray Review
As you might expect with a film from 2017 there zero issues with either sound or picture so I’ll move on to the extras. There all pretty short so I’d suggest giving them all a look but ‘The Making of Ghost Stories’ feature and the ‘The Brain See What It Wants To See’ are the two I would recommend.
Extras
- The Making Of Ghost Stories (13 mins)
- Recording Goodman’s Theme (4 mins)
- The Rorschach Test (7 mins)
- The Brain See What It Wants To See (4 mins)
- Audio Commentary
Popcorn Cinema Rating: Ghost Stories (2017)
MOVIE RATING: MUST SEE
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
EXTRAS: VERY GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Amazon UK Links
Ghost Stories (2017) blu-ray is out now.
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Ghost Stories (2017) Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my Ghost Stories blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review more horror movies soon. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: Ghost Stories (2017) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: Ghost Stories (2017)
Duration: 98 mins
Director(s): Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman
Actor(s): Andy Nyman, Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse, Alex Lawther
Genre: Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Rating
- Extras
Summary
A must see stylish British horror from 2017.
