Poltergeist

Poltergeist (2015)

Cast:

 Sam Rockwell, Rosemerie DeWitt, Jared Harris, Jane Adams, Saxon Sharbino, Kyle Catlett, Kennedi Clements, Nicholas Braun, Susan Heyward and Soma Bhatia.

Director: Gil Kenan

Synopsis:

The Bowen family has fallen on hard times. Eric has lost his job at John Deere, forcing them to move to a new home, one, which his teenage daughter Kendra openly mocks. Mother Amy has raised a beautiful family, but may have to go back to a day job to make ends meet. Son Griffin is going through that fearful time of childhood when we hear noises in our closets and wonder what’s under the bed. Finally, Madison is a unique little girl, the kind who talks to her imaginary friends a bit too often.

Review:

Tobe Hooper’s “Poltergeist” had two thematic foundations that have been essentially transferred intact to Gil Kennan’s version. It was no mere coincidence that little Carol Ann was sucked into her TV, as fears that the idiot box would forever destroy the next generation were pretty common in the early ‘80s. In the update, technology is everywhere, and even integrated into the narrative in scenes like the one where Kendra hears something strange through the static on her smartphone and the later use of drone technology. The fear of technology isn’t quite developed adequately here (nothing is), but I liked how David Lindsay-Abaire captured the modern world in which we are surrounded by electrical toys—the ominous shots of the power lines behind their house are not accidental.

The problem is that neither of these elements feels fresh or new. Nothing about “Poltergeist” feels fresh or new. And while the mere joy of seeing actors like Rockwell and DeWitt do their thing works for a little while, it can’t sustain as the horror narrative intensifies and a few things get decidedly goofy to maintain the PG-13 rating. By the last act, I really didn’t care what happened to the Bowens or those brought in to save them. The stakes don’t feel nearly as high here and the thematic undercurrents of the first act have disappeared as the actors and filmmakers go through their motions. In my opinion I don't really like it.  It is really different from what I was expected.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD2sz9RVzfM