Ghostlight is a pretty okay little indie. It leans rather heavily on the dramatic side of things, and the horror aspects of it are probably the least successful parts of the film. But it's very well-made (especially as far as indies go) and moves along fast enough to be enjoyable.
I was a little nervous going in - I haven't had a lot of luck with films from the Brain-Damage label. They are an independent horror movie distribution company based in Arizona, and specialize in low-to-no budget films. I've said before, you need to keep an open mind when checking out this type of film, but I've still had bad luck with most of their releases (the notable exception being Suburban Sasquatch, which is awesome/bad). So it may have benefitted from lowered expectations, but I still think Ghostlight was all right in the traditional sense.
Ghostlight is about Andrew and Mira, a couple who are in desperate need of money to pay off their debt from medical bills. There just so happens to be a radio contest where someone can win $50,000 by staying the night in a local haunted theater. Honestly, it's a pretty convoluted reason to get someone into a haunted location, but whatever. Andrew (Brian Sutherland) manages to win, but Mira (Lisa Coronado) is having recurring nightmares, just *knowing* that something terrible is going to happen. And if you've ever seen a "haunted-anything" movie, you know that something terrible *will* happen.
The most notable thing about Ghostlight is that there is just as much focus on the dramatic parts of the story as the horror (it's listed as "Drama" then "Horror" on imdb). Andrew and Mira are trying to recover from a horrific accident, not only financially but also emotionally. These elements of the story are pretty well done - the two are at odds as Andrew is trying not to think about it, and Mira dwells on it constantly. Our two leads turn in good performances as the devastated couple, and I was particularly impressed with Coronado. She does a lot of the emoting in Ghostlight, and does a good job of just looking sad and beaten-down throughout the film. It's not a glamorous performance, but it's plenty convincing.
The rest of the cast is all right. Dennis Kleinsmith is probably the most notable supporting character - he plays Mr. Black, the owner of the theater and the guy putting up the $50,000 prize for the contest. He's rather campy/over-the-top as he gives Andrew a tour of the theater... it's not a traditionally good performance, but it is pretty entertaining. And honestly, I think his scenery chewing is what helps carry the film through the (rather slow) set-up. So I don't know - you've got to take what you can get, and I'll usually go for 'unrealistic-but-fun' over 'good-but-dull' in these lower budget films.
Writer-director Jeff Ferrell has put together a good looking and nicely shot film. The stuff in the theater looks fine (and takes up the majority the film), but I was especially impressed with how things look outside of the theater. The picture looks crisp, and the framing, lighting, and camera movement is far better than what you usually see in similar fare.
The ghostly aspects of the story are nothing special. You get a couple of jump scares (but nothing egregious) and some movement in the back ground - but the scares are definitely more story driven than visceral. And that's probably where the seams show the most in Ghostlight - some of the film takes place in/has characters from the "olden-days" of the theater, and I just wasn't sold on it. It's not easy (or cheap) to make people look like they come from another era, and Ghostlight just doesn't quite have the means to pull it off. It's not a deal-breaker, but it certainly takes away from the film.
But still, I'd have to say it's a pretty good watch. It's a decidedly subdued/adult take on a ghost story, and has a pretty melancholy feel to the proceedings. Again, I think you have to be able to be into indie-horror to appreciate it, but if you do:
I would recommend this film.
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