The Power (2021)

"For much of its runtime, The Power is predictable but functional, with the sort of atmospheric imagery you’d expect from its setup. Haunted house fans will dig this stuff well enough. Then comes a mid-film veer into more peculiar territory, when I felt the pleasing sensation of not knowing where the plot was heading. Unfortunately, this is brief, and the last stretch is a pileup of clumsy social messaging and cliched ghost-lore."

"After a bit of a damp start, the scares are merciless."

"The horror merely simmers as opposed to the feminist messaging that truly scorches."

"The film stumbles in delivering a cohesive vision."

"Most of the items on this formulaic checklist are used well enough, but none of them are surprising or so well-realised that they’re still compelling."

"The peculiarity of the setting and the overall mood make it worth an evening watch."

"The message here is strong. The delivery is flat."

"Faith makes the most out of dark rooms and creepy whispers, and all that tension is aided immeasurably by a transformative performance by Williams..."

"The movie’s period spookiness and its Me Too outrage have virtually nothing to do each with other, diminishing the efficacy of both and making it feel like a tract."

"While it does employ some standard tropes, The Power succeeds in crafting an emotional powerhouse with a few memorable scares."