When the Lights Went Out (2012)
Directed by: Pat Holden
Written by: Pat Holden
Starring: Gary Lewis, Kate Ashfield, Martin Compston, Steven Waddington, Tasha Connor
When the Lights Went Out (2012)
(15) Running time: 86 minutes
Director: Pat Holden
Writer: Pat Holden
Starring: Steven Waddington, Kate Ashfield, Gary Lewis, Martin Compston, Tasha Connor
Reviewed by: Matt Wavish, official HCF critic
When the Lights Went Out comes from director Pat Holden, who also directed the remarkable football violence flick with a difference, Awaydays. Here he tries his hand at a good old fashioned British ghost story, and for the most part it works. Holden uses the less is more approach for the majority of the film, and considering this is based on a true story, the decision of delivering a more traditional style ghost story proves a wise choice.
Based in Yorkshire in 1974,The Maynard family have moved into a new house which they soon find out to be haunted. Father Len (the always brilliant Steven Waddington) works long hard days, Mother Jenny (Kate Ashfield) is your typical caring yet over protective Mum, yet it is teenage daughter Sally (Tasha Connor) who becomes the main victim of the poltergeist. The family are tight as a unit, and with the film being set during Britain’s recession and oil crisis, and with constant black outs, times are tough and the discovery of a poltergeist is not what the family had banked on.
Firstly you will find the setting and design of the film a real treat for those looking for a bit of nostalgia. Holden perfectly captures that 70’s vibe with terrific use of props in the house, the wallpaper, carpets, clothes and even the dialogue feels authentic. You will see a superb old fashioned TV, with one girl even telling us that she doesn’t have a TV (how times have changed eh), and the ornaments and decoration almost smells like the 70’s. Hell, there is even a good old Buck-A-Roo toy used in the film in a scare sequence that comes out of nowhere and will knock you for six. I loved the authentic nostalgic design, absolutely loved it and anyone wanting to feel like going back in time should watch this for that alone. Even a slinky toy is used to frightening and dramatic effect!
The characters are all believable, and it is Connor as Sally who has the hardest job. She is the first to be targeted by the poltergeist, who’s attacks become increasingly more violent, and Connor plays her part remarkably well. Not only is she portraying a young, traumatized school girl, but she is also playing a loner with few friends and some serious social issues. It is a big role to play, but Connor pulls it off. She struggles at school, and when word gets out that her house is haunted, she becomes the target of bullies and becomes even more isolated. Failing to sleep at home, she often falls asleep in class, making her teacher Mr Price (Martin Compston) take notice and try to help. Back at home Sally has to deal with an increasingly unstable family life. Jenny is struggling to deal with what is happening, and after a truly wonderful scare where she pulls back her bed sheets to reveal something horrible, she is scared and on the edge and always stressed out. Len, on the other hand, is trying to pretend it is not happening, and takes to spending time in the local pub, or blaming Sally for everything. The unfortunate break down of a once tight, close family is made very effective by Holden’s calm direction and tight script.
You will buy into the family, and caring for the characters on screen makes the horrors that come all the more powerful. However, for the most part, When the Lights Went Out works perfectly well as a drama about family life in the troubled 70’s. The film is not a straight up horror flick, so don’t go in expecting the next Paranormal Activity or Insidious. This is a carefully crafted true story with horror thrown in now and then to elevate the story, and being designed like this makes the poltergeist events work much better. For the most part there are predominantly just noises like banging or a hideous and chilling sound of a girl crying. Wind blows, ceiling lights sway and the air turns cold. These simple ideas build up an air of menace and tension that gradually takes over the film before heading to its violent and hugely satisfying climax. However, there are flaws, and when the ghost begins to appear through key holes the practical effects for some reason disappear and CGI is used, and sadly it is awful.
However, the film continues to build on our most basic and primal fears, the fear of living in your own home. Holden cleverly captures that feeling you may have had in your younger days at school when there was talk of hauntings. As kids we just loved to be scared, and everyone had their own stories to tell of supposedly haunted places. Looking from the outside, our imaginations would run wild with all the horrible things we would imagine to happen in the house. Holden brought those feelings back to me when filming The Maynard’s house from outside. There is also a frighteningly real side story of Sally’s only friend not being allowed to spend time with her, or even stay at her house because of these horrific events. One day she does end up in the house, and this leads to one of the films highlights as she uses the bathroom, and things become rather spooky!
When the Lights Went Out is not a full on horror, the scares come few and far between, but the story draws you in and the characters are well written so that you actually care for them. The fact it is based on “the most violent haunting ever recorded in Europe” makes the entire premise all the more chilling, and when the scares do come they are effective. Nothing seen here has not been done before, but if you are looking for something which goes back to basics and doesn’t try to be too clever, you will enjoy this. It has a wonderful nostalgic feel, great setting and the pace is perfect for the story it is telling. Gore hounds and fans looking for ghost horrors like Insidious may find this boring and un-eventful, however those with a bit more patience will find lots to enjoy here. If you are a fan of Ti West’s The Innkeepers or more notably House of the Devil, then you will love When the Lights Went Out. Chilling, creepy and effective in all the right places.
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