Explanation?

It's one of the old guy's ghosts - probably the 'bad' one, if looks are anything to go by...... which could mean a sequel?

For me this was the story of a woman fighting her demons regarding her boyfriend - thanks to having something nasty done to her by her father she is having trouble trusting.

The 'good' ghost is her heart the 'bad' ghost represents her doubts. We all have two - some call it a conscience.

The good ghost is an ex con who drowned in the lake - that's why his spirit is stuck in the cabin. Maybe he was a rapist and this was a test to see if he did the right thing given another chance? To be fair, until the bad ghost turns up, he is pretty menacing. It's not until the bad ghost turns up that the good one shows any concerns for anyone. It's clear the good ghost desires the woman. That's why he was willing to do away with the now fiancée. It's also what he later apologises for. [hurting the guy]

Was the 'good ghost' her father? Interesting and something I hadn't considered. That would leave the hoodie in the boat to be the drowned ex con ?? Maybe drowned by the old woodsman - hence he is following him?

What I don't get [assuming any of what I have already said is right] is the significance of the outhouse.

I assume all the banging the boyfriend experienced was birds hitting the side like one did for the woman?? ...... Why? What's that all about?

IMO:
My take on the 'woodsman' (third presence that did away with the bad spirit and took with him the good one) was that he was like a guardian angel figure. There to make sure the two presences didn't do bad to his 'charge'. That is why he got rid of the bad spirit painfully (all the screaming) and was going to get rid of the 1st presence as well (West), but once West stepped up protectively between him and the woman he saw that the 1st presence wasn't bad like the first one and showed him that he was not the enemy then gave him the choice of being free or staying there (the hand being offered). I think the 1st presence was able to chose whether he'd trust the man and take his hand to something unknown or stay at the cabin.

As for the presence on the boat I feel he was the old man's guardian. Since the old man said he had had this feeling that something bad had happened all day and came to check on the woman. I think the presence was that voice whispering to him that something bad happened allowing the woman to save her fiancee.

The second presence I feel started out a trapped presence like the 1st one, but became corrupted and gains his power by causing mistrust/doubt/anger/fear/etc in a person. He mentioned that he could go anywhere so I don't think he was specifically tied to the woman, more like he just knew she'd be a easy target with her past. He also mentioned it gets easier, even fun with time so we know he's done it many times before.

The first presence I'm not sure of his origin, but I didn't get that he hated the woman. I also feel that he just hated his situation of being trapped there. That's why the second presence was tempting him with freedom and such. He started to give in to the temptation, but he felt conflicted about doing it (gathered from his facial expression that looked to me like pained struggling and the second presence saying it gets easier), but he wanted to be free enough that he was willing to give things a try. I think at some point he decided he didn't like hurting the woman. The part where the woman is making contact with the spirits and the tapping is going on. At this point the first presence is trying to lead the woman to find her fiancee and know the second presence is bad and he's trying to help. Which is why the second presence gets angry at him (I can make you both wish you'd never been born). When the woman is under the house I'm not sure if it was the first presence or the woodsman that whispers the good thoughts to her, but it was those whispers that kept the woman from giving in to the second presence.

That's my take on it at least. :)

p.s. excuse any typos.

I took it to mean the following:

The original presence in the house (Shane West) was the convict who drowned, and thus was trapped there in ghost form, with unresolved issues. The 2nd presence who followed (and hated the woman) had been a ghost like West at one time, until he went to the dark side and became a minion of evil (or Satan, or whatever you believe - he kept referring to "The Master"). His job was to tempt humans into bad decisions and evil. H3e had probably done the same to her mother, and perhaps her father, thus her horrid existence as a child. He was also there to recruit West for the dark side. The 3rd presence was a good spirit who also watched over her, and tempted her toward good - an angel if you like (or so believe). The idea of the film is that we all have both good and evil tempting us all the time. When we choose bad, our lives deteriorate. When we choose good, good things happen. When West chose to help the woman and reject the evil presence, he made the "right" choice and was "saved" from his prison by the good spirit. I suppose he could have been "saved" by the evil one as well, but then he would have been doomed to a life of evil in return for his freedom. He obviously wasn't that type of person, despite mistakes in his past that led him there.

The hooded figure in the boat with the old man was his evil presence, tempting him. We don't know if he listened to him (it didn't appear so from his demeanor), we just know it was there. We can also assume he (and everyone else) has a good spirit as well, who might not be present as much (nor as tempting), but is there when we need them - we just need to choose that path.

Anyhow, that is how I saw the movie. I thought it was pretty clear (but I wasn't ill, either - I was awake and coherent). I really liked the film. Perhaps you should watch it again when you're feeling better and you'll see the same signs throughout that I did........or maybe you'll have a different opinion and can come back and tell us what you thought.......

:)

When the girl decided to do 'good', I didn't take that as Shane West or 'God' influencing her. As cheesy as it sounds, I actually interpreted that love influenced those decisions, conquering evil. Even without the help of 'God', whatever that black guy at the end was supposed to be.

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Keep my eyes on what? The clouds?

Didn't explain things and left them to be figured out? What? Like the way it completely spelled out the angel (this movie is classic cliched crap about angels and demons obviously) helping her and then a bright white light telling us everything he did and who he is, which in turn explains the whole movie BLATANTLY to any idiot who couldn't have figured it out anyway, which I see from the message boards is a startling amount.

I have no idea why the lot of you are so frakkin' confused. This movie was so straightforward and obvious. Jesus Christ I feel like I'm going insane.

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Whether they find life there or not, I think Jupiter should be considered an enemy planet.

Did anyone think there were no ghosts at all and that these figures represented her state of mind? I thought she might be suffering from some sort of mental illness, especially with her background of abuse.