A well-intentioned misfire

In the same vein as You're Next and House of the Devil, 2015's We Are Still Here is a vintage-style horror movie that tips its hat to ghost movies of old, most notably Lucio Fulci’s House by the Cemetery. The feature film debut for writer-director Ted Geoghegan, the movie's heart is in the right place, with the low budget rendering it a modest horror endeavour relying more on practical effects than computer-generated nonsense. However, it's not especially scary or even memorable, kneecapped by mediocre scripting and an amateurish presentation. The poster is exceptional and the movie's final act is killer, but for the most part, We Are Still Here is very middle-of-the-road, and in a world where James Wan can create an insanely chilling Insidious movie for $1.5 million, this is simply not good enough.

Mourning the loss of their son, married couple Anne (Barbara Crampton) and Paul (Andrew Sensenig) relocate to rural New England, moving into an old house with a mysterious history. Almost immediately, Anne feels that the spirit of their deceased offspring resides in the house, though Paul is reluctant to believe in the supernatural. Hoping to make some sense out of the situation, Anne invites old friends May (Lisa Marie) and Jacob (Larry Fessenden), hoping to use May's skills as an amateur psychic to communicate with whatever presence surrounds them. In the process, they begin to learn about the secrets surrounding the house that the local townsfolk are hiding.

To accentuate the throwback vibe, We Are Still Here is set in the late 1970s, harkening back to an era before mobile phones and advanced technology, capturing a simpler time for maximum horror efficiency. Geoghegan does well enough in the film's early stages, focusing on Anne and Paul's mundane day-to-day activities while an insidious presence is clearly lurking inside the residence. However, the movie seems perpetually stuck in first gear, with Geoghegan unable to conjure up an unsettling feeling of dread or terror. Despite a few effective horror beats, the film fails to come alive; it's in need of tauter editing and perhaps a more atmospheric score. It's not that the movie needed jump scares, but it's too dull as is, with long stretches of nothingness that grow tedious fairly quickly. It doesn't help that the actors are so thoroughly flat - even horror veteran Crampton seems lost here. Fessenden fares better, but it's not enough to redeem the entire affair.

We Are Still Here at long last roars to life in its grand finale for which all hell breaks loose. It's wonderful work from Geoghegan and his crew, conjuring up a viciously brutal extended set-piece involving the house's demonic occupants and the seedy locals. We Are Still Here is not a bloodless PG-13 affair, but instead a hard R, with Geoghegan revelling in the possibilities laid out by the movie's admittedly promising premise. Bodies pile up, blood is thrown around with creative abandon, heads explode, and the ghoulies look remarkably convincing, brought to life through a mix of impressive makeup and some subtle but effective digital effects. The movie's prolonged build-up is almost worth it for the climax. Almost.

For a first-time helmer, Geoghegan does show promise, but We Are Still Here is simply not scary, and the freshman filmmaker struggles with storytelling, pacing and character development. Despite a standout third act, We Are Still Here is a misfire, albeit a well-intentioned misfire. It's nothing more than an 85-minute tribute to many superior haunted house features.