reviews. In Variety, Dennis Harvey considered the film to be an "effectively creepy, modestly scaled piece" and praised its "atmospherics " while also considering the plot unoriginal and, at times, corny. Fernado Croce of Slant Magazine called it a "tepid horror-comedy", feeling Bardwell was a "gentle director" ill-suited for attempting to create a feeling of shock and horror, resulting in a work that "awkwardly suggests Poltergeist as a 12-step self-help program." Ed Gonzalez of The Village Voice called it a "TV grade suspenser" that "channels the spirit of Murder, She Wrote and 3-2-1 Contacts Bloodhound Gang" and as vigorous as the typical Scarecrow and Mrs. King episode. He found the script to be overwritten and a "mechanical compendium of anti-skepticism clichés". Frank Lovece of The Hollywood Reporter agreed, referring to it as a "rare old-fashioned supernatural suspenser" that lacked suspense, and felt it was reminiscent of unmemorable 1970s made-for-television family friendly horror films. He both praised and criticized Bardwell's writing and direction as being "carefully though without inspiration", and the dialog as "bald and blatant" lacking in subtext and subtlety. In The New York Times, Stephen Holden called the film "a cut-and-dried Freudian melodrama that gives repressed memory a supernatural dimension" and preferred a regular teen horror flick to Bardwell's attempt at making a "haunted house movie for grownups". Steve Ramos, Boxoffice Magazine, felt the film was "polished but dull" and that its lack of special effects would result in it being unable to attract mainstream audiences. He also felt Daly overacted in the role and "lack[ed] the emotional depth to support an entire movie, ghost story or otherwise." He praised cinematographer Claudio Rocha for his work in creating a believable haunted house and the film's overall high production values, wishing it had been matched by quality storytelling. References External links New York Times review 2009 films 2009 horror films 2000s ghost films 2000s supernatural films 2000s thriller films American supernatural horror films American supernatural thriller films Films about child abuse Films about lawyers Films directed by Tennyson Bardwell Films shot in New York (state) American haunted house films Matricide in fiction 2000s English-language films 2000s American films