Spirit Trap (2005)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

David Smith

Writers:

Rohan Candappa (additional material)
Paul Finch (additional material)

Release Date:

12 August 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

This house has a secret that won't let you go.

Plot:

In London, four students have a call from the student accommodation office of the local university offering lodging in an old house...

Plot Keywords:

Hate Crime | Racial Violence | Xenophobia | Haunted House | Intolerance

Cast

Billie Piper	...	Jenny
Luke Mably	...	Tom
Sam Troughton	...	Nick
Emma Catherwood	...	Adele
Alsou	...	Tina
Chiké Okonkwo	...	Edmund Joseph
Ovidiu Matesan	...	Zack
Kitt Smith	...	Sam
Miruna Biranu Chetu	...	Jenny's Mother
Oxana Moravec	...	College Secretary
Gillian Scotney	...	College Student
Robert Goodman	...	Tramp
Colin Dent	...	Cabbie
Ion Stroe	...	Victorian Gang Member
Ciucarel Marinel	...	Victorian Gang Member

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language, drug use and some strong sexuality.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Australia:MA (2007) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Archangel Filmworks

Trivia:

Billie Piper's first lead movie role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jenny and Nick try to leave the house and they find themselves back in the entrance hall, the pool of blood from Tom's head injury has disappeared.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Spirit Trap: A Ghost Story (2005) (V)

What's so bad?

Nice to see more and more British fantasy films appearing and this one is not so bad. Certainly as good as most American B-Movies of similar ilk and most definitely better than many reviews on this site suggest. Story is perhaps a touch clichéd and generic but, hell, isn't that part and parcel of genre. Haunted House stories do tend to contain haunted houses, and they tend to be haunted by spirits, and these movies appeal to teens and younger adults so they tend to feature teens and younger adults as main characters. It's also a no-brainer to realise that these characters need to make some mistakes in order to activate the BAD THINGS that happen, hence that is what happens. Call it generic or call it derivative, so what? That's the genre. Admitedly, tension isn't built up so well, not much in the way of scares and only a light smattering of atmosphere, but it looks okay and the acting is undoubtedly better than most of the posters on this site are suggesting. Could I possibly ask that reviewers from places other than a film's country of origin don't immediately dismiss UK actors as unknowns just because they are not Keira Knightly, Daniel Craig or Hugh Grant? Billie Piper was certainly less known prior to Doctor Who but it's been a good decade since she was unknown. Sam Troughton and some of the others have also built up a reasonable body of work. Piper is decent in this - some suggest not as good as in Doctor Who - I would point out that most people should shine in Doctor Who because it's so well directed, written, constructed, etc. Piper doesn't shine in this because 'Spirit Trap' just isn't in the same league but it doesn't mean she isn't good. Also liked Troughton. Is this film a waste of time? No! It ain't a classic but it's not so bad. Give it a go, it won't kill you.