Saw the name and I expected something good. What I got was not so much horror but more murder mystery with a ghost wedged in.

I liked the story though, it was well told and cinematically pleasant. It was also well acted and I was along for the ride completely. It was only afterwards that it struck me that the ghost was actually unnecessary to the story. However, it provided for some nice visuals and kept me entertained.

The story is what really sells this film to me. Expertly told. Perhaps just one or two niggles with the ghost in terms of story too, but even the harshest critic will not regret watching this.

Was really looking forward to this. Watched it a few weeks ago and had to turn it off halfway through. Tried really hard to like it but it just bored me to tears.

Mostly, though, it looked beautiful. As you'd expect from Del Toro. The black ghost that kept showing up looked horrendous though. Looked like it was a lazily created heap of cgi.

Nothing here really interested me, which really disappointed me.

Quoted from DustinBowcot It was only afterwards that it struck me that the ghost was actually unnecessary to the story.

Thought the same thing while watching it.

Anyway, the movie was nice to look at, other than that it was disappointing. I didn't care too much for it. Saw it in a theater a few months back. I expect more from Del Toro.

Yeah I did expect more. I expected a horror. I didn't read any reviews or anything about it before watching. I never do that. Nor afterwards, come to think of it.

I watched Rise of the Footsoldier 2 the other night and I got all the way through that too. It was fairly enjoyable, albeit heavily cliched and perhaps cheesy. I'm quite easy to please in terms of story. Put that with some good visuals and quality acting and I'll be happy enough to not feel as though I had just wasted a couple hours of my life.

Finally saw this and hate to say that I was far from impressed.

I think it's pretty obvious that the marketing was far from what the film actually was and whenever that happens, peeps get PO'd.

It's a well crafted story for sure, and it's beautifully shot, oozes with symbolism, tone, and feel, but it's just not what it was marketed to be.

The supernatural elements were pretty much shoehorned in, whereas the trailers all feature the ghosts as if they are central to the story and plot.

Even the violence seems to be shoehorned in to receive an R rating, as it's few and far between, but nasty and graphic when it hits.

But, maybe the movie's biggest fault is in its runtime and pacing.  For me, the lead in story/courtship, killing of the father all played out way too long and slow.  There was no real mystery with Thomas and Lucille, as we knew they were "bad" (we just didn't realize how bad they really were!).  Once at the dilapidated Hall, again, things just seemed a bit too slow, as we knew things were going to turn ugly for Edith, and even the poising was just too obvious.  Then, in the finale, things completely changed, and got crazy, violent, and very fast paced, which didn't jive with the first 2 hours.

I know this script went through many changes and many years, which may be the cause of the final product not being what it could have been.  who knows, though.

Grade - C

I really enjoyed this.

The story was excellent.

The only thing that occurred to me was that the style, whilst beautiful, detracted from the atmosphere. The same story told in a more noiry style...something like the Woman in Black...would have been great. Up there with the classic noirs from the past, like Rebecca.