Movie Review: Haunted House Drama 'Things Heard And Seen' Barely Manages A Scare

Chicago IL

06 May, 2021

8:00 AM

Description

By Steve Prokopy, Third Coast Review: Things Heard and Seen, based on the novel by Elizabeth Brundage, All Things Cease to Appear, is the latest work from the writing/directing team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor; The Extra Man). The film sees a Manhattan couple move from the big city to the sleepy, historic town of Hudson Valley, in upstate New York, so that husband George Clare (James Norton) can take a new teaching job at a local college, while wife Catherine (recent Oscar-nominee Amanda Seyfried) leaves her prestigious art restoration work behind to become a professor's spouse. She's justified the demotion because, early in their relationship, George sacrificed a great deal for her career to blossom, so she's returning the favor. But it's clear she's unhappy with the move, deciding to bury herself in projects, including finding out more about their home's dark history. The charming George quickly makes friends with fellow staffers, including his department head Floyd (F. Murray Abraham) and fellow professor Justine (Rhea Seehorn), who becomes fast friends with Catherine and quickly begins to distrust George and his relationship with some of his female students. But George seems particularly interested in Willis (Natalia Dyer), a local young woman who is back in town after an extended absence. According to Floyd, this is a community that believes in the local spirits that occupy the town, some of which seems to have taken up residence in the Clare home, as Catherine keeps spotting a female presence in the house whom she believes is the ghost of the original owner from the 1800s now looking out for Catherine. George doesn't believe in such things though, so Catherine does a great deal of her investigating (and even hosts a seance) while he gone. Things Heard and Seen isn't the kind of ghost story we're used to. It's not meant to be especially scary; instead, it's more of a mystery about who the spirit is and why she is making herself known to Catherine. If she's looking out for her, what is the danger she believes Catherine to be in? At various points, I assumed we were going to find out that the townspeople were all in on the ghostly world, but most of them are fairly normal folks with slightly eccentric beliefs. Also making appearances are Karen Allen and Michael O'Keefe as the local real estate agent and sheriff, respectively. Alex Neustaedter and Jack Gore play the Vayle brothers, who offer to do odds jobs around the Clare home, but we discover that they used to live there before their parents were killed. Things Heard and Seen ends up feeling more like a skillfully made Hallmark movie than something that might have once played in theaters. The scares are kept to a minimum, the compounding mysteries aren't that difficult to crack, and even the usually dependable Seyfried seems embarrassed to be in this subpar offering, in which she must endure both a philandering husband and an unnecessary eating disorder. It's as if the film is hinting around far greater and more deviant secrets about the house and the community that never manifest, and the entire slog is a supreme disappointment. The movie looks good, but it's all window dressing to cover up a hollow shell of a story. The film is now streaming on Netflix. Did you enjoy this post? Please consider supporting Third Coast Review's arts and culture coverage by making a donation. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support! Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Related Review: You Should Have Left Should Have a Little More DepthJune 18, 2020In "Film" Film Review: Maybe Just Stay Home from Home AgainSeptember 7, 2017In "Film" Superdawg and the Super Couple Behind It: A Tribute to Flaurie BermanMay 3, 2018In "Cafes and restaurants" Categories: Film, Review, Screens Tagged as: Alex Neustaedter, Amanda Seyfried, Elizabeth Brundage, F. Murray Abraham, Jack Gore, James Norton, Karen Allen, Michael O'Keefe, Natalia Dyer, Rhea Seehorn, Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman Post navigation Your #StaytheFHome Curated Weekend: 4/29 and Beyond Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Third Coast Review is Chicago's locally curated website, specializing in Chicago-area arts and culture coverage. Read more at thirdcoastreview.com