Unnerving As Hell

Intense atmosphere, strong performances, and perfectly eerie camerawork all contribute to an excellent horror film. There's no cheap jump scares. Perkins' film slowly builds its terror bit by bit, like an Edgar Allan Poe story.

All three actresses were fantastic and I learned that Kiernan Shipka has a lovely singing voice to boot. Kudos as well to Greg Ellwand as Father Brian who was just mysterious enough that I kept wondering how much he knew.

Wisely, Perkins never clearly shows the evil spirit. It's only glimpsed in shadows and brief reflections and heard over a staticky phone line. The rest is left up to your imagination.

Food in Films: Never invite a possessed person to dinner. They'll make everyone lose their appetite.