AKA Ghost Of Goodnight Lane.
It is always odd to write a review for a film that doesn’t have much you were fully receptive to. That doesn’t mean the film is terrible. It just may not have enough decent plot to discuss, or any cast or crew members who really stand out. But a film not having enough in it to discuss hasn’t ever stopped me from writing a review before, and it isn’t going to stop me now.
Beginning with a death caused by what we can only assume is a vengeful/evil spirit, The Haunting Of Goodnight Lane is a very straightforward bit of horror entertainment. There is a group of people trying to complete a project in a film studio area (well, it is a building that is currently being used as a small film studio), and weird things start to happen. Then more people start to die, by which time it may be too late for anyone to actually escape.
Despite some key people hired to show their faces onscreen, this is a film that feels cheap. But, importantly, it doesn’t feel lazy and careless. There is nothing here that is original, the script by Amy Acosta and director Alin Bijan places chills and fun ahead of plausibility and any sense of realism, but there is also no pretension or delusions of grandeur. That’s surprisingly refreshing, especially when everything is delivered in a way that is at least technically competent. The visuals aren’t all hidden away behind a load of jittery editing and filters (although some scenes get a bit busy), and one key performance helps to underline the self-aware humour of the whole thing.
That performance comes from the one and only Billy Zane, playing the typical man in charge who wants everyone to forget the potential danger around them until he finishes his latest job. Zane is a lot of fun, whether he is pulling tank to get everyone working again or being a bit sleazy with the main actress (played by Christine Quinn) due to revisit the studio. I am not going to pretend that every character registered with me, because this is a film in which you just expect everyone to die at some point, but having Lacey Chabert in a main role was a plus, and then bringing Danielle Harris in just before the halfway point also helped. I like both, and they did perfectly okay here (although it was far from their best work). Another good addition was Brina Palencia as Micah, the “misbehaving” woman who could easily have her absence excused by the others if she happened to disappear at some point.
Look at that. We made it. This is the end of a review I started with a warning about not having much to say. The Haunting Of Goodnight Lane is similar to 101 other cheap horror movies you could choose to watch, many of them using one or two bigger names to draw you in, but it’s also better than a lot of them. It actually makes decent use of the likes of Zane, Chabert, and Harris (instead of relegating them to a cameo filmed during a spare 5 minutes). Richard Tyson is another bonus, but used just for the opening sequence. And the storyline that unfolds is far from the worst I have seen in the horror genre.
Does it all make sense? Of course not. Do characters act in a way that normal people would act? Nope. Got to hand it to director Bijan though, he paces it perfectly, ensures that most shots look well enough, and simply feels like he has treated the supernatural silliness with a bit of professionalism and care. That is something you can feel throughout the film, and it makes a hell of a difference. Despite enough negatives bringing this down slightly, in terms of choices made with the tone and performances, I would happily rewatch this. And I would even watch a sequel.
5/10
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