A remake of the Steven Spielberg-produced domestic horror classic from 1982 could quite reasonably have suffered from a case of the ‘John Carters‘. Which is to say, it’s based on source material that has been so influential, any new adaptation would undoubtedly be cursed by a sense of over familiarity.
And when you look at how determined director Gil Kenan has been to evoke a Spielbergian tone in his prior films Monster House and City of Ember, a slavish devotion to the original Poltergeist could certainly have been expected.
But thankfully, by zeroing in the the parts of the original that none of the imitators have been able to successfully replicate, Kenan and his collaborators (which includes producer Sam Raimi) have created a big screen horror experience with a lot of fresh appeal.
The thrills and chills are fine and spectacular, but it’s the casually authentic family dynamic that really sells the dread here. The convincingly laconic leads Rosemarie DeWitt and Sam Rockwell help enormously in this regard.
Plus Kenan keeps the bland domestic setting contained to claustrophobic effect, which helps it seem creepy in a way that houses only seemed when you were a kid.
Although the predominantly terrible nature of every other ’80s horror remake is probably enhancing my perception of this one, it nevertheless stands as a hearty reminder of how much more effective a film like this can be when you actually care about the characters.
‘Poltergeist’ Movie Times | ‘Poltergeist 3D’ Movie Times
