When the Lights Went Out (2012) User Reviews

Not scary at all when the lights went out.

[theycallmemrglass · 6/10 · 20 August 2012]

I saw this at a preview screening tonight in London. Its a British supernatural haunted house film set in Yorkshire 1974 and is apparently based on a true story.

The 70s Britain backdrop is suitably done reflecting the country's financial struggles of its time and if you remember growing up in 70s Britain, there are some fond nostalgic touches to enjoy. The story, however is a typical haunted house affair. A working class family (mother, father and a thirteen year old daughter) moves into a new home in the suburbs. Of course the new home is haunted and aggressively so. The family becomes rather concerned about this little negative point....which unfortunately is the first of this film's many problems.

See, the family's reaction to the haunting is ridiculously flippant. They accept the haunting too easily, despite its obvious aggression. The family are mostly naive and unlikeable which doesn't help me root for them. The performance of the 13 year old is initially quite annoying in her mannerisms but she is deliberately playing a stroppy teenager who lacks self esteem and friends, and she portrays that well. She has just one school friend, who seems to be a much more accomplished little actress and was very charming. In fact, the film had more spark every time she was on the screen. The friendship drama with the children, their isolation and their struggles against bullies was actually far more interesting and captivating than the house haunting itself.

Which brings me to the films's biggest problem of all. If you have seen just a few supernatural films, then this wont likely scare you. Its not completely devoid of "boo" moments but there is absolutely nothing new here and its embarrassingly clichéd. Almost every attempted boo moment is lifted from classics such as Poltergeist, Sixth Sense, and Paranormal Activity but with inferior results and sometimes laughably ridiculous visuals that is too illogical even for a Loony Tunes cartoon. Perhaps the scares would be effective to complete virgins of supernatural films. Its possible that I may have seen too many supernatural films myself being a massive fan of the genre for these scare attempts to be effective on me but the scares here are still poorly executed and devoid of logic. I mean for Pete's sake, even the real ghosts will cringe and come out into the open to declare how mind numbingly silly the hauntings are in this film. I just know they would be saying: "we can shift stuff, make you cold, blow a breeze, play with lights and shadows but we don't do bleeding magic tricks".

It seems to me this film's success will be dependant on its "based on a true story" premise and its Yorkshire setting flavour.

There are some redeeming features about the film, I have already mentioned about the children's drama and nostalgic setting of 70s Britain but the film did also offer a surprising and most welcome period of comic relief towards the end which brought genuine chuckles out of me. I did enjoy that and felt relieved that the film had at least something more to offer. If only it could have given more of that kind of humour earlier to make up for the lack of effective scares.

There is no blood and gore by the way, in case you are concerned about that. And only one f-word is used (to comical effect actually) so, this might earn a rating of PG13. By all means still go see this, if you are very easily scared and are content to be scared for only one or two effective moments.

Being based on a true story might be a pulling factor but I personally think its a cop out.

I rate this 6/10...mainly for the captivating school friendship drama, the sudden burst of humour and for me personally, a retro nostalgia of 70s Britain. Scare factor scale, however, an abysmal zero.

But the lights didn't really go out...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 16 February 2013]

This movie turned out to be somewhat of a surprise - at least it was to me. What worked out so well in this movie was the mood that they managed to build up, because the story itself was fairly generic. The movie starts out slow, and then gradually builds up in intensity and thrills.

The story in "When the Lights Went Out" is about a small family back in the 1970's where the young daughter starts experiencing strange things happening in their home. These occurrences build up in intensity and eventually start to be physically threatening to the family and anyone entering the house.

If you are a regular to horror movies, and to ghost movies in particular, then you'll not really find anything new or overly innovating here in this movie. That being said, don't get it wrong, I am not saying that "When the Lights Went Out" is a bad movie, far from it, but it just doesn't really offer anything that haven't really been seen before.

As I mentioned above, then it is the mood of the movie that is the centerpiece for this movie, as the director managed to put together something dark and sinister, that slowly escalates and keeps you firmly in your seat. And the approach to the story as to who is actually haunting the family was quite nice - and no, I am not going to spoil anything for you here - just watch it for yourself.

If you enjoy a proper horror movie that involves ghosts and hauntings, then "When the Lights Went Out" is well worth a watch. Though, this is hardly the type of movie that you'll watch a second time around once you've seen it the first time.

Rent the Amityville Horror or The Exorcist instead

[Tcarts76 · 6/10 · 10 November 2012]

"When the lights went out," is a supposedly true story of a haunting/ exorcism that takes place in England during 1974, and seems more like a reinterpretation of New England's haunting stories of the same era. Somehow the 70's were so bad and dull that even ghosts had to find more to do.

Good: The acting was fine, not great or memorable but fine. The story is a good one, even if over used by movies and the "true story" part is always somewhat of a draw. Although I question the trueness. Being set in the 1970's wasn't too bad and I think they hit the overall 70's feel and look pretty well. The whole haunting thing is always popular as well which always makes a film alluring to watch.

The Bad: Nothing new to see here, except it takes place in England instead of the eastern U.S. "When the lights went out," is another story, supposedly based on true story, that takes place in the 1970's, oddly like another true story in the 1970's "Amityville Horror" (1979) and contains a bit of demonic possession, much like another 1970's movie "The Exorcist"(1973). How many films to the makers of this one think we haven't seen or forgot. There was also very little to cause you to jump in your seat or really fill you with fright when you really do turn out the lights.

I give it a 6 out of 10. It was interesting to watch, they did well bringing the 70's era into it, and not to much to gripe about acting wise. The originalness of the story is questionable at best, and seems to be a combination of a few older movies that came out in the era it takes place. It wasn't nearly scary, and other than a few tiny parts, provided none of the "jump" effect a movie like this needs.

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Solid entry- part horror, part family drama

[amesmonde · 24 February 2014]

Yorkshire, 1974: the Maynard family moves into their dream house but soon discovery it is already occupied by a violent spirit.

Based on what is regarded as the most violent poltergeist haunting in Europe and not to be confused with the 'Enfield Poltergeist', from the metal bins to glass milk bottles, cigarette filled pubs, Buckaroo, Kerr plunk, wood panelled walls, seventies patterned wallpaper and 70's TV to name a few When the Lights Went Out is worth viewing for the 70s nostalgia alone.

Director Pat Holden takes some queues from some well know horrors and parts of his offering are unavoidably reminiscent of The Amativille Horror, The Exorcist and Poltergeist. Although the closing is unnecessary effects laden, the overall unassuming setting adds to the ominous and uneasy feel, this coupled with the minimal melodic music and lighting create some good tension.

With haunting figures and things going bump in the coal shed and dwelling as the family becomes more convinced their house isn't right, it becomes quite compelling viewing especially for those also familiar with the well documented alleged haunting. The creepy sound design makes the most mundane objects jumpy and menacing as the incidents escalate throughout. Along with the on location feel amongst the expertly recreated period, the everyday UK setting adds to an air of realism.

Part horror, part family drama what's interesting is the haunting events and its effect on the daughter and family and the reaction of the school and local community. It's well filmed and acted, notable are Kate Ashfield , Steven Waddington, Tasha Connor with Craig Parkinson Martin Compston and Andrea Lowe providing some good performances in supporting roles.

With a bit of artistic licence, based on The Black Monk of Pontefract, Holden gives the events context and structure to a story that's well acted amounting to a solid British haunting film.

Been there, seen that....

[trans_mauro · 3/10 · 19 November 2012]

Nothing new here.

Pedestrian tale of poltergeist (evil spirit...whatever) haunting a family.

Horror and supernatural films, unfortunately, have nothing new to add or tell. If it were not for special effects or extra graphic scenes the genre would be a rehash of old movies, which is the case WTLWO. Since the scares are mild, and special effects are pretty ordinary, this film has nothing new to show.

It is harmless, tolerable at most. One of these films for a cold, rainy night... But, I'd rather read a book!

3 stars for the effort.

The Pontefract Poltergeist.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 9 February 2013]

When the Lights Went Out is written and directed by Pat Holden. It stars Steven Waddington, Kate Ashfield, Natasha Connor, Craig Parkinson, Jo Hartley and Martin Compston. Film is based on alleged real life events that were recorded in Pontefract, England, in 1974. After the Pritchard family moved into their new house on the Chequerfield Estate, poltergeist activity reached such a level it has been called the most violent poltergeist haunting ever witnessed in Europe.

Director Holden, who made the criminally under valued Awaydays, helms his picture with genuine love and thought for the topic. Being related to the Pritchard family he had wanted to make the film for some time, it's a noble effort even though it never achieves all that it can.

There are two main problems that will ensure the film will stay rooted on the bottom shelves of DVD stockists and collectors. Problem one is that it is uncomfortable in mixing comedy with drama, something that practically kills a key scene in the last quarter. It's useful to understand that these Yorkshire folk are made of tough stuff, ready to offer a quip in the face of adversity, but it has to be pitched right and here it negates much of the pent-up terror.

The other key issue is that it's so stunning in its period design (this really deserves the highest praise for the makers), anyone from the 1970s is guaranteed to be spending much of the film pointing out things and reminiscing. I know I was! Garish wallpaper designs, toys like Slinky and Buckaroo, rum and pep and Babycham in the smoky pubs, The Sweet singing Little Willy and a hairy Noel Edmonds on Top of the Pops, these are just some of the things to make film fans who were reared in the 70s smile during this particular horror film!

As a tale it's creepy enough, the cold backdrop of a Yorkshire council estate suits the story no end, and in spite of a bad misstep when Holden uses CGI in the finale, the shocks and unease moments are nicely handled. While the human interest factor always remains high and there's a bit of thought within the writing to off set the normal question of "why don't they just move house?".

It's also well performed by the cast, with youngster Connor really shining bright, and with Holden keeping things brisk the picture never gets bogged down with pointless scene fillers. Is it scary? Away from the flares, wallpaper and hair styles that is! Well no it isn't really, it's more an effective ghost yarn than anything else. So needless to say, the blood lust gore crowd or those expecting a battle between religion and demon, need not apply here. 6.5/10

Story based on true events

[markedwardwoollen · 2/10 · 8 October 2019]

So here's another horror that I'd been wanting to see for some time now (vaguely remember the trailer) and had seen it featured in Most haunted and Paranormal lockdown U.K. So after seeing these two shows I thought 'Hmm, maybe this film could be good'; so I bought a copy from HMV yesterday for £5.99 expecting something genuinely scary and yes, to start with it did have some good scary scenes but as the story progressed up to the end I thought 'This is just haunted house-by-numbers' and the CGI effects were as unconvincing as most of the other modern films I've seen. The acting and set pieces were great (being a child of the '70s myself the pop-culture refs were nice) but overall it was very underwhelming.

Recommended -- much better than most contemporary American ghost films.

[ricolowry · 7/10 · 16 November 2012]

I reluctantly began watching what seemed to be yet another Paranormal Activity ripoff but was gradually pulled into the storyline by Pat Holden's fine direction and performances. The mood was effective as was the music score and sound design. I'm a big fan of ghost films, particularly Robert Wise's THE HAUNTING and Peter Medak's THE CHANGELING. While this film doesn't reach those heights, it is so much more effective than any of the American ghost films of the last few years.

I'm also intrigued by paranormal films based on true stories, which this one claims to be, adding more creepiness to the viewing. Making a good chilling film is not nearly as easy as it seems, so hats off to the creators of this good little film.

One word violated

[nathanmanson · 1/10 · 3 April 2023]

I feel genuinely violated after that viewing. I've not wrote a review for months but I just had to come back after watching this monstrosity.

That's definitely cracked my top 5 worst films of all time. The acting was pathetic, it's like they just casted random people they found on the street. I don't even know what category you'd put this film in. It wasn't scary so it can't be a horror and it wasn't thrilling so it can't be a thriller.

The only way I could ever recommend this film to somebody is if I didn't like them and wanted to prank them and waste their time. Whenever there's a horror with a rating above a 5 I'll always give it the benefit of the doubt, this time I really really regret it.

Good film (nothing new though)

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 24 November 2014]

Okay, take Poltergeist and The Exorcist then move them to seventies Yorkshire and you basically have When the Lights Went Out. It's supposedly based on a true story (but aren't they always?) about a family who encounter a particularly nasty spook in their house.

This is a film where I can find many positives and only one negative. The good things are the setting (if you ignore the occasional Sky Digital dish in the background). They do a good job of portraying seventies England. The actors are also all believable. The film centres quite a bit on two young girls. Kids in films (and especially horror films) tend to be either highly annoying, or just totally unlikeable. However, I found these two girls quite endearing and hopefully they will have a long acting career ahead of them. Also, it's quite creepy. The scares are sometimes predictable, but they're there nonetheless.

About the only thing that's negative is that - as far as story-telling goes - is that there's nothing new here. Hollywood has been churning out these sorts of films for years and all you have here is a British (period) version of one of those types.

If you're in the mood for an easy-going British horror flick, definitely give this one a go. Just don't expect anything revolutionary.

Out of the dark

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 25 November 2012]

I have to admit, the German cover art looks more demonic than the movie turns out to be. Still there are quite a few nice performances, even the mother who has the toughest job to pull off. And she barely makes it in my opinion. The movie walks a thin line between going into the dark (no pun intended) and some might like the decision it takes about jumping or not jumping over the edge (it would be spoiling telling you that, so I leave that one open).

The other clever decision the movie makes it, that it doesn't try to outdo the Exorcist. It would be a lost battle from the get go, so it doesn't even try to go that direction. It does have a few nice ideas here and there, some of which are not further explored (unfortunately). Overall a decent effort.

A few decent scares

[Saiph90 · 8/10 · 16 December 2012]

A have read a review on this site, where the poster says he or she has seen similar things in other horror films. This may be true but it is pretty hard with poltergeist movies not to duplicate, things being displaced etc, I found the setting of 70's Britain excellent,having lived through the 70's it brought back memories of collars on the outside of jackets and the humour added another dimension. The acting was realistic and unlike so many films there was a story which had a conclusion. How many times do we sit with the credits coming down and think "is that it, has it finished?" Personally I don't believe in ghosts, poltergeists, exorcisms, etc but this film kept me entertained which is all you can ask.

The Pontefract Poltergeist

[bushtony · 7/10 · 1 December 2012]

Low-budget British paranormal chiller that avoids (praise be) the increasingly overused found-footage gimmick and settles instead for a traditionally scripted and shot narrative.

It's a haunted house picture, set in the early 70s on a working class housing estate in Yorkshire. The period is nicely evoked, along with depictions of industrial action and accompanying power-cuts. Salt-of-the-earth-type mum and dad move into a council dream-home with teen daughter. Before long, poltergeist activity kicks off, escalating into increasingly violent attacks and malevolent manifestations. There's the restless spirit of a murdered little girl and...something much darker at play.

Part traditional horror fodder, part social commentary on the parenting "skills" of the time, it is refreshingly unpretentious and doesn't waste the first half of the film with a protracted focus on the adults/disbelievers coming to terms with what is actually going on.

Based on an apparently true case of a 1960s "haunting" it does have a unique ring of authenticity in characterisation, setting and execution. There are echoes of KES-era Ken Loach, neo-realistic British kitchen-sink drama and Play For Today tropes integrated quite seamlessly with post-modern RING/GRUDGE schema. This is all great until the CGI workout kicks in at the end, with a jarring and disconnecting effect, as though suddenly the audience is wrenched out of a skilfully constructed reality into a whole different stylistic architecture where Hollywood's POLTERGEIST runs the show.

Full of nice disconcerting moments and some creepy turns, both fully lit and when the power cuts out, this is much more satisfying than many of its cookie-cutter US counterparts. Can't beat a good old-fashioned British ghost story for inducing a bit of skin-creeping fun. Also, once again, nice to see a modern horror picture with a positive outcome.

Ohh my god .. ? What just happened ?

[kasperhelthhansen · 1/10 · 3 March 2016]

this movie was an absolute Waste of time.

If you want a pointless comedy, Watch this....

No good scares.. Jumping from pointless scene, to pointless scene.. Followed by pointless paragraphs.. Followed by sucky actors and really, really, REALLY bad special effects..

On the plus side.. This movie successfully captured the look of the 70's quite good.. But that's about it..

If you expect to live long, you can Watch this movie and not feel like you've wasted an hour and a half on it, but if you, like me, think life is short and actually worth living.. DON'T WATCH IT..

And how did it get nominated for.. Well, anything? And the rating? 5.4 stars? WTF! People who rated this anything other than a minus 1000, can go Watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S and get at least as many scares, if even more..

Goodnight people, I'll go have an actual life now..

DO NOT WATCH THIS!... Can't stress that enough...!

Let down with poor CGI

[cpj79 · 12 April 2023]

As a few other reviewers have mentioned, this is the telling of an average, unoriginal ghost story, but it is well acted, filmed, good sets etc, but the let down for me, was the actual showing of the Ghost. It was shown for too long onscreen, which meant that actually you could study it and in really was just poorly executed.

I thought the two kid actors were great and am surprised that they have not archived bigger things after this movie.

Overall, it is worth a watch as it an enjoyable movie, but you'll certainly not loose sleep at night over it and will most probably forget about it as soon as the credits roll.

Nowt scary going on 'ere love.......

[FlashCallahan · 4/10 · 6 February 2015]

The Maynard family move into their dream house, only to find out something is already living there.

Len, Jenny and their daughter Sally struggle to keep their already-fragile family together as they are attacked by the poltergeist.

It becomes apparent that Sally is the poltergeist's main focus of attention, and the house slowly becomes a living nightmare.

Its true story time again, and here we have a 'real life' relative of the family not only writing the film, but also directing the tale. Now, whilst he doesn't pull any punches with the families struggles, it hardly touches on the financial crisis that befell many at the time.

But then the film is about a poltergeist haunting a family. Imagine The Entity with several helping of stodgy hot-pot, and you get the gist of this film.

But my gosh, its a mundane plodding affair, about as depressing as Sunday evening when you realise that the weekend is over.

The cast are OK, Ashfield is okay as the troubled mother, but Waddington is fabulous as the anxious father. He knows his family are on the breadline, and now he has even more spirits to add to the ones he has at his local. But he is the only highlight of this otherwise poor film.

Which is a shame, because the story is so interesting, but the result I'm afraid comes across more like a Heartbeat Halloween special, than a feature film.

does it seem real or not

[jazzywazzy260 · 7/10 · 4 September 2012]

the main story line was good and the actually haunting side was good. the era is portrayed wonderfully and most of my family loved looking back at some of the older item's and the scenery.

for the true events matter, i do believe the people and the story but putting it out there saying it is a true story and having it contain some of the graphics that it did might be quite disturbing and frightening to people. one scene in particular is in the bedroom, a presence is nudging one of the characters, she believes its her husband, as she turns to face her husband she is shocked to find that her husband not there but the bed sheets risen, as she pulls back the covers she finds a gruesome figure laid staring at her. this is the only negative side i have to the movie apart from that i found the movie quite intriguing but some points are exaggerated.

the live exorcism was fairly good as it was engrossing, also the technique was very accurate to a real life exorcism.

some facts were wrong in the movie like the location, but the mediums and the exorcist seemed very accurate in their styles.

this movie does seem real and i do believe most people would find it more intriguing to watch than more horrifying because it feels more realistic than most horror films.

Good try but falls flat

[bingobearuk · 5/10 · 8 January 2021]

Let's start with the positives - acting was good especialy Tasha Connor as Sally (The daughter). The 70's look and clothes and music was good. The Priest who liked his Housekeeper a little too much (I think she's genuflecting).

Now for the bad - no build up do we go to know the characters , things just started happening and it was just one thing after another. It was made in 2012 and the special effects were very ropey, I'd rather have no special effects and rely on mood etc than try to do them and fall flat.

As I'm British and know what a council house is etc I think I would understand things more than someone from across the pond.

I felt it was made for TV and would have looked a little strange at a cinema

Well acted and creepy ghost story

[MattyGibbs · 7/10 · 17 May 2013]

This is a ghost story set in Yorkshire in the UK in the 1970's which is a pleasant change from ghost stories set in big houses in America which seem to have been done to death. Apparently this is based on a true story and that does make it all the more unsettling.

It boasts a good solid British cast with well known faces such as Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead), Gary Lewis,Stephen Waddington and Martin Compstondelivering effective performances. There are also believable performances from Tasha Connor as the teenage daughter and Hannah Clifford as her friend.

The tension builds up effectively from pretty early on and there are plenty of creepy moments as the poltergeist activity increases. This isn't a gore fest so if you are looking for that you will be disappointed but as a suspenseful ghost story it works really well.

When the Lights Went Out is only a small film but it shows what can be done with a limited budget and some decent acting. This is one of the better ghost stories I have seen and punches well above it's weight. Highly recommended.

Pit of darkness

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 9 September 2015]

A ghost story set in 1970s Yorkshire is unusual. The Maynards move in to a new house in 1974. Their teenage daughter quickly believes that their is something spooky in the house with unusual paranormal activities.

It soon becomes clear a poltergeist is in the house and is threatening the family and anyone else entering the house. The family get a priest to perform an exorcism. It seems that there are two spirits in the house. An evil priest that once raped and killed young girls and another, a young girl which is trying to warn the family to get out of the house.

The film has a good period setting which stinks of mid 1970s Britain and its also goes for eeriness rather than gore as well as some Yorkshire wit and grit.

However it does feel a lot like a television film to me not helped by the fact that several members of the cast of the television series, Line of Duty turn up here. It also reminded me somewhat of the recent BBC television series, Remember Me that starred Michael Palin.

The more obvious comparisons are though is the original version of Poltergeist with shades of The Exorcism thrown in.

So there is nothing novel here but its a well made, low budget drama. The ending however just feels a little too contrived and feel good though.

Ghost story full of orange & brown 1974 period charm!

[canndyman · 7/10 · 16 July 2018]

I took a bit of a gamble on this UK-made 'homegrown' horror, & have to say was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Set in a rural Yorkshire town in 1974, it charts the allegedly true story of the Maynard family's terror when they move into their new home, & soon discover it's inhabited by poltergeists & things that literally go bump in the night - initially centered around their rather grumpy teenage daughter. The events become increasingly frequent & more violent, involving the whole family (& even visitors to the house), until the god-believing family finally call in a Catholic priest to perform an Exorcism. But have the 'ghosts' really gone....

What I really loved about this film was its incredible attention to period detail. Very often, it's easy to spot mistakes when a film is set in a certain era & doesn't get things quite right. But I'd give 10 out of 10 to the makers for their wonderful recreation of 1974 - which had me reminiscing all the way through to the era that style forgot! Right from the start, you feel you are in good hands, & that this is a film that will have care & attention lavished upon it. It's also written & directed by a family relative (Pat Holden), & he has done an excellent & professional job.

The performances are good too, & it was great to see a cameo by veteran actor Peter Egan. As for the story itself, I have no idea as to its validity. Not being a believer in the supernatural myself, I was rather sceptical about the whole set-up, especially that the family's experiences seemed to play out rather conveniently in the wake of the classic horror film 'The Exorcist' (released theatrically the previous year). But, if you are prepared to suspend your disbelief, it does make for a tense & genuinely scary film, with its fair share of jumps.

If you are expecting a full-on gross-out horror film, or something glossy in the American style, then you may be disappointed. But if you are looking for a well-made, suspenseful, UK-made thriller full of orange & brown 1974 period charm, then sit back & enjoy!

Just didn't quite live up to its potential

[RatedDG · 5/10 · 30 March 2015]

Directed by Pat Holden, the nephew of the real-life family this story is based around, When the Lights Went Out (2012) is a British horror film set in 1970's Yorkshire. In short, a movie which I thought was going to be a complete washout turned out to be a movie that was actually pretty good but just didn't quite live up to it's potential. Plus, as is pretty typical with average horror movies, the ending was dreadful.

Based on a true story – apparently the most violent poltergeist haunting in European History, the film follows the Maynard's. They are a family semi-struggling through 1974 northern Britain, as they move into a new home which isn't quite as empty as they had hoped.

It really does hit the ground running. Unlike other horror movies that build the tension over time with quiet scenes where your heart pounds out of your chest just as … absolutely nothing happens … YET, the creaks and bangs in this movie are present straight away. And who knew that a slinky could be quite so sinister?

Other than the overly stern priest/exorcist (Gary Lewis: Filth, Billy Elliot), the acting was pretty convincing. The one thing I cannot stand with horror movies is when the cast are far too serious and just suck the life out of a scene by making it so completely unrealistic from a human point of view. People do have lives, yes they can be scared witless but they can still laugh. The cast and direction made the family out to be a typical, Yorkshire, 70s family that enjoyed avocado kitchens, floral wallpaper (great scene involving this, GREAT scene) and drinking babycham whilst smoking (the movie world has lead me to believe that everybody smoked in the 70s). They poke fun at each other even in the face of a pending exorcism. It all adds up to a pretty believable collection of people.

And the ghost isn't terrifying but is creepy. And the fact that the main character is a rough and tough Yorkshireman helps: if he's creeped out then it must be pretty creepy.

All in all, not bad. And, in my wonderfully inexperienced opinion, I'd give it a 5/10.

A very British ghost story

[dbhatton001 · 8/10 · 29 November 2012]

I really enjoyed the fact that this was old fashioned, yes obviously, due to the fact it is set in the 70s but I enjoyed that it was slow and simmering. The attention to detail in the sets and costumes really helped the whole feel and the acting was excellent and very natural. There are moments of black humour and the language and responses are very British, which I appreciated. Yes, it's nothing new but sometimes you just want a ghost story to give you chills and make you look twice at any open door at night when you are going upstairs! It is a shame the last 5 minutes let it all down so badly, no spoilers here but watch it and see what I mean. I'd say give it a go, it might just give you the creeps.

Try And Remember It's A Ghost Story Rather Than A Horror Film

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 13 July 2013]

In 1974 the Maynard family move in to a new house . Their teenage daughter quickly becomes more and more disconcerted about being in the house , almost as if there's a supernatural presence at play . Within a short period of time it becomes clear a poltergeist is stalking the family

Supposedly based on a real life haunting that became known The Black Monk Of Prontefract . I knew nothing about this case so looked it up on Wikipedia to find that the researchers found it to be faked . Oh what a surprise that was . I mean if ghosts exist that means there's a life after death when most human beings spend their entire existence wondering at nearly every point if there might actually be a life before death . Perhaps the debunking meant the story didn't ingrain itself on the British psyche similar to that one in Amityville ? It might also explain why the characters have had their names changed in this film

Despite being fiction WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT does succeed in doing what it sets out to do - scare the audience . Okay director Pat Holden hardly needs to break sweat because of the scare tactics are achieved through sound mixing silence followed by deafening crashes but is more than efficient in making the audience jump . Some people might be annoyed by a lack of a truly physical threat but as someone who has spent the last few eeks watching one grade Z horror film after another where the selling point is gore then this is a nice , understated restrained change of pace

One thing Holden is possibly conscious of is how ridiculous the mid 1970s were culture wise . Music and fashion reached a nadir in this decade which had never been seen before and thankfully one hopes will never be seen again . Imagine watching Gary Glitter on TOP OF THE POPS presented by Jimmy Savile followed by IT'S A KNOCKOUT with Stuart Hall . Add to this hideous hairstyles and flared trousers and you wonder why the dead would bother contact the living , therefore Holden doesn't make WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT seem too much like the 1970s

I pity the actors

[susana-c-fernandes · 4/10 · 2 December 2014]

Despite the interesting set (England, 1974) and acceptable acting, When the Lights Went Out is a poor horror movie, mainly because of a presumably low budget and mediocre special effects. It creates enough empathy with the characters to make you feel sorry for what's happening to them (the girls in particular), it delivers a slight twist at the end and the story is interesting enough... but on the other side, the climax is just pitiful, the ghosts aren't scary and the mentioned twist is nothing but a way to keep the movie going for another 3 or 4 minutes. The movie generally fails its horror promise and leaves some questions unanswered (like... was there a more specific reason - other than the ghosts - why the girl wasn't allowed in her friend's house?). I have mixed feelings about this one, but can't give it a positive grade, 4 is as good as it gets.