Horror Ghost stories are becoming just as big in the direct to DVD market as the over abundant generic vampire films. The Sick House unfortunately is just another one of those ghost films, however it does have an original concept, but still has the storyline of the likes of House on Haunted Hill or The Haunting remakes.
The Sick House is about a women named Anna (Gina Philips, Jeepers Creepers) an Archaeologist whom has just finished up an excavation of a plague hospital. She forgot some her stuff in the building after the excavation was over and goes back to the site one night to get her stuff. While there she is told by the security guard that she can’t go in at night. She notices that he forgot to lock the place and see him off, telling him she will come back tomorrow, once he gone she slips into the place to get her stuff. Meanwhile a group of teenage kids, one of whom is pregnant break into the place to explore and hang out in it. Little do they know that while the excavation took place during the last day, that Anna and her team unknowing released the evil sprit of a doctor, whom during the plague years murdered and tortured his patents. Know he is back to kill again, and Anna and the group off teens must find a way out before it’s to late.
The script for this film is not half bad, although it’s just another ghost story, the idea for the story does have an original concept, but some of the plots points are very similar in story to the likes of other ghost films that we’ve all seen before. A bunch of people trapped in a house or another location that they can’t get out of, while a ghost offs them one by one. The story is simple and very easy to understand and the scripts dialogue is not half bad either. One thing that did bother me about it was that it did take a while to get the plot moving and the story established.
The acting is not half bad. Gina Philips is the real star of this film in the lead role as Anna. She gives a solid performance, and is one of the reasons this film is actually worth watching till the end. The rest of the cast is alright, but nothing special, I was able to tolerate them to say the least as the majority of them were picked off by the ghost one by one.
The films production value is alright. It had the look and feel of films like Saw and Hostel, except the lighting for the film was way too dark for my likening and there were time where it was hard to tell what was really going on. The special effects and make-up are pretty decent and there are a few good scenes that have some blood and gore involved.
Overall, The Sick House is an alright little horror film. It’s nothing memorable, but it does have it’s good and bad moments. It’s very similar in style to the House on Haunted Hill remake and it’s sequel, but has the look and feel of the Saw films. Its ones of those ghost movies that if your into ghost films you’d probably want to rent and check it out if nothing else is available in your local video store. It’s nothing great, but it’s not half bad either.
– Horror Bob
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- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
