We continue our 31 days of frights with another spooky review. Thirteen Ghosts was released in 2001 to pretty terrible reviews and a low box office. Overtime though, it seems that many fans have fond memories of this film. Is there anything in here that is worth it?
The Story
The movie is about a family that inherits a spectacular old house from an eccentric uncle. There’s just one problem: the house seems to have a dangerous agenda all its own. Trapped in their new home by strangely shifting walls, the family encounters powerful and vengeful entities that threaten to annihilate anyone in their path.
The Characters
What hurts the movie mostly is that the characters are not very interesting. They have good actors attached to them, but aren’t giving them much to do. Tony Shalhoub as the father is the only exception. We don’t really feel the family is in danger, and it’s pretty easy to guess which characters are just here to get killed.
The best thing about this movie is the ghosts themselves. The makeup is great, and each one looks distinctive and memorable. They are locked behind glass, but once they are set free, the movie does become a bit more fun. They all have their own backstories on how they became ghosts. This isn’t really explained in the movie, but if you have the DVD, they have the explanations on the special features.
Two of the more memorable ghosts are The Jackal and The Princess. The Jackal runs around with a cage around its head and looking to scratch and claw. The Princess walks around naked with scars all around her body. She is a jealous woman who really doesn’t like other women, as she is constantly trying to kill certain characters.
Does It Work?
This movie has been talked about like it’s one of the best horrors of the 2000s. Is it any good? Yes, but mostly no. The editing and visuals are really off. For some reason, in the early 2000s, everything had to be shaky to the point of giving you a seizure. The production design is great. The house that the family visits is stunning and seems to be where most of the budget went. It just stinks a bit when some of the visuals don’t let you appreciate everything about it.
Overall
There isn’t too much to say about this one, but if you want an easy-to-watch haunted house type movie, check it out. The story isn’t great, the performances aren’t special, but you come to this one for the ghosts and a fun time. There have been rumors for several years that a remake or show will come out that focuses on each ghost and their backstory. If this were to happen, it could potentially be really special.
Thirteen Ghosts is not currently streaming.
Come back tomorrow for some more spooky reviews.
