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I expect to see something innovative every time I watch a Steven Soderbergh movie, and with this ghost story, the streak continues. "See" is the key word here: set entirely within a single family home, we witness everything from the perspective of the ghost who haunts it. Long empty, the house is now home to the Paynes: Rebekah, Chris and their teenagers, Tyler and Chloe. What follows proves that viewing a haunting is just as unsettling as viewing the daily lives of a divided and dysfunctional family.
So, who is the ghost and how did they get there? I won't give that away, but I will reveal that they take no joy in freaking the Paynes out. After all, there's not much joy in witnessing the roots of dysfunction play out, namely favoritism and enablement. Tyler is a champion swimmer, which makes him essentially above the law to Rebekah and makes Chloe feel invisible. There's a scene where Tyler tells a story about bullying a female classmate to a much too amused Rebekah and to a uselessly objecting Chris that is among the cringiest in recent memory. As for dad, he does what he can to make Chloe feel loved, but he can only do so much. Again, while we don't leave the house of Paynes (sorry), Soderbergh and screenwriter Koepp find ways to prove that the effects of dysfunction are hardly relegated to the home. I'll just say that on top of seeing all of the above play out, the ghost has to witness how both the desire to join the in crowd and the vulnerability of neglect can be exploited.
Despite the story's elegance and clever concept, this is a better than average, but not spectacular ghost story. Neither quality does enough to make up for the Paynes being mostly uninteresting, and even though their dilemma is true and timely, I cannot see its outcome leaving a lasting impression. I'm still glad I watched this and still walk away believing that Soderbergh and Koepp is one of the most reliable duos these days. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to reinforce the shelves in my closets (you'll see what I mean).
I expect to see something innovative every time I watch a Steven Soderbergh movie, and with this ghost story, the streak continues. "See" is the key word here: set entirely within a single family home, we witness everything from the perspective of the ghost who haunts it. Long empty, the house is now home to the Paynes: Rebekah, Chris and their teenagers, Tyler and Chloe. What follows proves that viewing a haunting is just as unsettling as viewing the daily lives of a divided and dysfunctional family.
So, who is the ghost and how did they get there? I won't give that away, but I will reveal that they take no joy in freaking the Paynes out. After all, there's not much joy in witnessing the roots of dysfunction play out, namely favoritism and enablement. Tyler is a champion swimmer, which makes him essentially above the law to Rebekah and makes Chloe feel invisible. There's a scene where Tyler tells a story about bullying a female classmate to a much too amused Rebekah and to a uselessly objecting Chris that is among the cringiest in recent memory. As for dad, he does what he can to make Chloe feel loved, but he can only do so much. Again, while we don't leave the house of Paynes (sorry), Soderbergh and screenwriter Koepp find ways to prove that the effects of dysfunction are hardly relegated to the home. I'll just say that on top of seeing all of the above play out, the ghost has to witness how both the desire to join the in crowd and the vulnerability of neglect can be exploited.
Despite the story's elegance and clever concept, this is a better than average, but not spectacular ghost story. Neither quality does enough to make up for the Paynes being mostly uninteresting, and even though their dilemma is true and timely, I cannot see its outcome leaving a lasting impression. I'm still glad I watched this and still walk away believing that Soderbergh and Koepp is one of the most reliable duos these days. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to reinforce the shelves in my closets (you'll see what I mean).