Released through Film Mode Entertainment and directed by Richard Gray (from a script by Abe Pogos, based on a story co-written by Pogos and Catherine Hill) BROKEN GHOST is part rural-noir and part psychological ghost story.
The Day family, father William (Nick Farnell), mother Samantha (Scottie Thompson) and daughter Imogen (Autry Haydon-Wilson) move from the big city to Montana, where Samantha takes a job at a local drug store and William continues his artistic ambitions. Imogen, who appears to want to be known as Grace instead, is struggling with restricted sight and is partly-blind.
When she arrives at her new school, she finds herself dealing with the unwanted attentions of student Brendan (Devon Bagby), who starts to pry a little more into her reticent nature. However, it isn’t long before Imogen’s past starts to emerge into the light – and other students are determined to make her life a misery again.
Life at home is also pretty screwy, given that there may well be the presence of an unwanted spirit in the house, seemingly the previous occupant who is an artist like William. The family Smart TV is also switching itself on and off at will and the discovery of a dark mural on one of the walls in Imogen’s bedroom has also added to the mystique and chill that is prevalent in their new home….
BROKEN GHOST is an interesting variant on the ghost story take and refreshingly, the film doesn’t resort to traditional scares and cheap tricks to unnerve the audience. It is very reminiscent of the original version of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) and classic Coen Brothers like BLOOD SIMPLE, which colours the basis of a subplot involving Samantha which provides a key clue in the narrative.
It’s a handsomely shot film, thanks to great cinematography from John Garrett, whose 2nd Unit work on the upcoming AVENGERS: ENDGAME will bring him a much bigger profile given that the film is already crashing advance ticket bookings on website. Michael Lira’s score is very much similar in tone to Carter Burwell’s BLOOD SIMPLE arrangements,
On balance, BROKEN GHOST is an honourable attempt to inject a fresh perspective in a much-cliched and oft-told genre narrative thread.
