Over the past few years I have despaired of the horror genre. All of the recent films have been sick, over the top and unnecessarily gross (House of Wax etc). I grew up with the Carpenter movies where shocks and scares were important. This film is a refreshing change, yes its slow, yes its subtle but the important thing is it is scary! Claire Holloway is a likable protagonist. A children's book author haunted by vicious night terrors. She is told to face the source by her psychologist. She then sees a documentary that includes a shot of the house in her dreams. Claire is played with feeling and maturity by Gabrielle Anwar, whom obviously enjoyed the script and filming. Hunt is the stereo typical character of the piece. When his Wife and Son died he plunges himself into the research of the paranormal. Forest Whitacker is obviously intrigued by this film but not so much to give one of his most stellar performances. In fact if you compare his portrayal of Hunt to his character in Species, they are pretty much the same. The shooting of the film is excellent, the cgi ghost effects start subtly and build up nicely, the photography hits the right visual cues and the score adds to the tension and visual elements without giving away any clues as to what is about to happen. The only negative I have would give away some of the plot so you'll have to guess. If you liked House of Wax or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre do not watch this movie! However if you enjoy sitting round a campfire trying to scare your friends this is for you.