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So much average

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Excellent adaptation.

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Beautifully filmed in some truly stunning rural locations (you can almost hear the dew dripping from autumnal branches), this tepid haunted house mystery features Ben (Ed Stoppard), his wife Rachel (Sophia Myles) and young son Harry (Isaac Andrews) relocating to a huge and remote country house following some difficult personal times.As the scant ghostly noises in the night threaten to topple Ben into thinking his sanity is crumbling once more, the main thing that strikes me is how unlikable he is. Irritable and unreasonable, he treats his family very offhandedly, and comes across as exactly the kind of shallow, thoughtless bore I would cross the road to avoid.A terrific supporting cast including Paul Kaye and Russell Tovey turn in very earnest performances, but sadly the script fails to come to life and remains pretty uninvolving. The problem is, these sinister characters are actually more likable than Ben, as is sleazy Dominic (Greg Wise) who tries to strike up an affair with Rachel. Up until the last reel you almost wish she would go with him.As a whole, it is the hero who sinks this unfrightening ghost story. Not that Ed Stoppard is a bad actor, but there is not one note of kindness or sympathy about him, and whether his manner is the result of his earlier breakdown, or whether he is actually correct in his intention to 'protect' his family, he severely tests our patience long before the end.

If the answer is 'yes' then you might as well not read this review and not bother watching 'Blackwood.' Don't get me wrong – it's not bad. It's one and only problem is that it's so unoriginal that if you've even seen one previous supernatural/ghost story then you've basically seen this story (and quite possibly done better).A teacher moves his family into an old creepy house, largely against their wishes. Once there, spooky things start to happen. Every quarter of an hour you'll catch sight of a reflection that wasn't there, or a shadow in night which disappears upon investigation. If that sounds scary to you, maybe you will get something out of it. Personally, I grew out of thinking that was in any way spooky when I was about ten.The acting is nothing to write home about. That's not a criticism of the actors. They're good enough, as I've seen them in other things. However, they just go through the motions and you can see every vague sub-plot coming a mile off.It's a British film and, in typical British style, it's low budget. I know it's a bit unfair to expect a Brit-funded film to compete with Hollywood blockbusters when it comes to special effects, so I can't be too harsh on 'Blackwood' for not even trying. Don't expect hordes of monsters or vast action sequences interspersed with the story.It's a 'slow burner.' Possibly too slow for its own good. Basically, if you think that a door shutting on its own is scary, then you might like this. Otherwise, just watch one of your many other horror/ghost story DVDs that you probably already own. It's better.Now move along... nothing to see here.

Very clever film with high satisfaction towards the end. Ghost story with an intelligent twist. All film making departments working well together. It takes the classic bump in the night idea and transports it to another level. The supporting cast are great. The end might be a slight stretch for some but I realized this and moved on. I was thoroughly entertained and enthralled, and only after the credits rolled did I perceive any faults or possible improvements that the film could have achieved. The cinematography, editing, sound and music are all perfect in this.If it was low budget it did not show. I recommend this if you like metaphysical themes and wish to have your mind stimulated.

Clever premonition concept.First thing I noticed was the line, "But where are you going to stay?", followed by the title, Blackwood. Then the incredibly snappy editing. It really sucks you into what seems like a simple story.But the editing creates a problem - the snappiness destroys the jump-scares. The first hour has maybe ten, and none of them worked for me mostly because they don't allow time for a lull before the scare.And there was one jump-scare at 11 min - guy looks at the face of a grandfather clock, then the camera pans as he looks down at the inside, and as he stands the camera pans up with him to show ... his wife. Good variation on the closing-door jump-scare, but she was standing too far away from the camera.Everything else I liked, but overall it's not really a horror - more psychological thriller with false promise of the supernatural. Although the premonitions are nicely reflected back in the end sequence, psycho killer is not what I was hoping for. Plus Brit horror is so short on trashy sex and gore.ps. Nice to see Dennis Penis has found God. And one-earner families will still do anything to get an unaffordable mortgage in cider country. Ooo rrr!