This was not a good movie. I don't mean that it was a terrible movie like A Common Man or something, it was just not good. It's clear someone put a lot of thought into it, but it was a horror movie without a whole lot of horror. It was a scary movie with few scares. It was a mystery that was pretty easy to solve. I think that "Startler" should be a new classification of movie - a movie that just tries to startle you with sudden flashes of something barely recognizable with a big violin screech at the same time.
A family dies. Their house is then sold to another family who knows that the previous family died, but they got a good deal on the house, so why look a gift ghost in the mouth. Wait - did I say ghost? Oh yeah, this house is now a freakin' haunted house! So, bad things will befall anyone and everyone who dares defile the house with their presence.
So, the teenage son (coincidentally the same age as the son of the family who died in the house) played by Harrison Gilbertson is stuck hanging around the house for an unidentified reason, and he decides to go for a brooding walk. On his walk, he meets the neighbor girl, and the two of them hit it off right after she stops crying from getting the crap beat out of her by her drunken father. As a teenager, he is not expected to make good life choices, and in this movie he does not disappoint.
Liana Liberato plays the next door neighbor who quickly informs Harrison that the house he's in is haunted and she knows how to contact the spirits. How does she know that there is a machine in a hidden room in the attic that will allow you to talk to spirits? Who the hell knows? That's not the kind of thing you're supposed to think about. instead, you should probably be wondering why it is that Harrison's parents seem to think it's okay for his female friend from next door to sleep over in his room every night without asking them or Harrison, for that matter.
Ione Sky plays Harrison's mother. The most notable thing about her acting in this movie is that she looks very constipated most of the time. I don't know if the director told her to act incredulous, and this was her attempt, but she pretty much has that wrinkled forehead squint most of the time.
Jacki Weaver is the evil relative of the dead family. You pretty much know as soon as you see her that she's the evil one, and no good can come from her. In a slightly more clever story, this would be a bit of a ruse, and she would wind up being a good guy. Will she in this movie, well I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but no. And, it's not surprising.
Directing was not good
Story was bad
Acting was mediocre
Cinematography was lousy
Dialog was bland
1.25/5