film reel image

film reel image

Saturday, November 7, 2020

The House in Between 2020 * * Stars

THE HOUSE IN BETWEEN DOES NOT QUITE CHANNEL ITS INNER "CHANGELING"

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Yup. Sure I do. And that's why I sleep with a light or two on in my cozy abode. 

In 2020's The House in Between (my latest review), said house is well-constructed from an architectural standpoint. "Between's" darkened movie poster shows you this right off the bat. The house was gutted when the new homeowner came in and it is located in Florence, Mississippi.

So yeah, The House in Between is a haunted house documentary that at times, feels hoary and dated. Otherwise heightened by eerie background music from Joseph Miller (Pink, Athena), "Between" suggests timeworn stuff like 2007's Paranormal Activity, a less scary version of Paranormal Witness, and TV's Ghost Adventures.

"Between" has directors Steve Gonsalves and Kendall Whelpton filming (and interviewing) various spook experts. We're talking investigators, EVP mongers, contractors, electricians, and even psychics. They try to uncover why baseballs roll inexplicably down stairs, lights turn on and off, and doors shut when no one is around. Oh and there might be a dead body in the backyard that was buried there over one hundred years ago. 

At 81 minutes, The House in Between gets a little more dramatis personae as it barrels along. Other times it drags, flashes, and sort of oversells. And unless you suspend your disbelief, it could almost feel like the ghostly events might have been staged (I get that vibe a lot with various shows of the "unknown"). 

All in all, "Between" involves real-life people and supposedly true to life circumstances. There's hints of a solace note here. Unfortunately we as the audience member have seen this movie before (no pun intended). The House in Between has some tense moments where you'd be better off watching it during the daytime. However, it fails to not fully "get your ghost". 

Written by Jesse Burleson

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