Playhouse

source: Playhouse

Story twisted around a writer who moves into a Scottish castle with his daughter to write a new play... well, about the the 'Jack' character... The performances through the film isn't strong... about the horror side of the movie, you'll see few paranormal activities... but, not very impressive... overall this is a watchable horror movie... even if it has some great idea doesn't get scares it would like

I thought this movie had a good concept and a great setting. It's a shame it was wasted on what seemed to be bad editing and one of the worst performances by a leading man ever on film.

The scenery and castle were nice to see. The acting was certainly decent if not good. The story wasn't spectacular, but that's not why I watch these. Although there were a couple of creepy parts that were good, it could have used some more horror aspects. It's definitely worth watching if you aren't looking for an enthralling movie.

Absolutely loved this!!! Couldn't take my eyes off this film from the moment it started right through to the last shot. Wide shots of the beautiful Scottish castle against the dark overcast clouds sets the haunting atmosphere for this gripping story. The intimate angles and sounds of footsteps on creaky floorboards makes you feel like you are right there in the castle with all of the mysterious characters. The castle almost becomes one of the characters with its twisting staircase and draughty doorways. The film has been cast incredibly well with the daughter portraying a disturbed demeanour and the writer father taking us through the manic ups and downs of the creative process of writing his play. He is both entertaining to watch in moments of wrestling with fear and terror whilst elsewhere made us laugh out loud in other moments of humour and dark psychology. The layers of the story are like a present with different layers of wrapping - you think you've opened all the layers until there's another one and another one. It's a treat to watch a film that keeps you guessing all the way to the end with its unpredictability and twists. Playhouse deliciously provides all the jump out of your skin moments you hope for in a horror film. Playhouse is a treat and a must watch!!

For a Scottish film this is not too bad. This is no train spotters. It feels like it was inspired by a play & a recent from that I have watched. Nonetheless it is a decent low budget film. The various characters are realistic and very British. It is inoffensive but I would not say it is scary at all. It's focus is on the psychological elementsb rather than it and it scares.

No need to go out of your way to see this. You've already seen it, many times, all done better than this. Low budget indie from the UK, with nothing original to say, I cannot recommend watching it.

This movie is truly horrifying. Move along, folks. Nothing to see here. And such potential, too, but when I was asked to believe that a walled-up little boy from the late 19th century could procreate descendants to our own day, my head cracked open and I bled out with the sheer stupidity of the idea. Or, isn't that what was happening? Surely it wasn't the dead girl at the bottom of the stairs later giving birth to descendants? Waste of time, money, acting talent, etc.

Stuck with writers' block during his new play, a writer takes his daughter to a remote castle on the coast to help with a new project, but his caretaker assistant holding him to his promise to finish the script as well as the secrets of the castles ancient past force everyone to confront the supernatural threats to get away alive. This was a decent enough if slightly flawed genre effort. When this one works is mainly due to the atmosphere present throughout here which brings about shades and tones of the classic Gothic stories of the past. Featuring the usual requirements of the situation with the ragged stone walls, endless corridors, eerie wind blowing through the hallways and the need for an endless array of candles to light the way through the castle, this one manages to evoke a chilling feel that's at times outright chilling. It's the sort of ambiance that brings about the feeling that someone or something is lurking within the other side of the wall or around the next bend and helps to enhance the mood and tone quite readily throughout here. When it's all enhanced by the backstory to the castle her girlfriends reveal that adds a properly chilling turn on everything and the numerous slow shots of someone going through the building, this one feels quite the impressive effort. With this setup working, the slow-burn descent offers quite a lot of chilling aspects. The idea of the family still haunting the castle walls and causing all the damage within by turning her into a completely different person much as he does later on after performing the same ritual is a great way to build a tense atmosphere. The later series of supernatural hauntings here aren't that bad, as the exaggerated mannerisms and threatening with the way these continually build throughout the finale as things become much direr. With strange disappearances, threatening actions and a thrilling race to uncover the truth behind the dark secrets of the past all combine to make for a somewhat rousing and thrilling time with how it all comes together. These here give this one quite a lot to like even though there are some issues with this one. One of its main problems is the rather disjointed storyline that keeps switching back-and-forth between characters without much explanation. Given that the main focus is never entirely on either the father/daughter living in the castle or the neighbors living next door as they never really interact with each other only for a few quick remarks in terms of interaction that there's a rather odd shift in the narrative once it does this with very little actual purpose. The one we get isn't enough of an answer and it seems to shift back-and-forth to these people in ways that can make characters disappear from the film for long stretches of time. The other factor here is the distressingly slow-burn pace that can easily be seen as too slow to make a difference as the lack of constant scare attempts, lethargic tempo and low-key intensity from everyone involved can be a slough to get through. These factors are what hold this one back the most. Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.

A watchable and entertaining first film by the Watts Brothers. The character development and use of lighting in the scenes stood out, especially in the castle. Overall, a good cast, especially the main actor who played Jack. The Watts brothers really capture the beauty but also the fear and fright of the highlands of Scotland. You could hear the raw of the sea attacking the castle, resembling Jack's internal collision of reality and creativity, and the conflict of the past being repeated in the present. The dynamics and chemistry between Jack and Jenny was also well delineated. And the question was asked, who was losing touch with reality more - Jenny or Travis? Jenny appeared equally driven and pressurised to hide the past, whilst Jack was committed to bringing it into existence - and this was well scripted and brought to live in the film. A good example of a folie à deux if there ever happened to be one. I'd really recommend giving the film a go. Just be careful when you next book a week end away in a castle - and stay away from any writing, whilst staying close to the fire and whisky.