Available on VOD (YouTube, Google Play & Apple)
A mystery is afoot at Campton Manor! It’s rare to feature a detective who admits he sees dead people. And when Cat Hostick‘s film is about such a hero, I was curious. What’s delivered is fairly engaging as the film switches back and forth from what he sees to how others watch him at work. The excellent lighting design lets viewers know when the tale is taking place.
Here, Teddy (Shawn Roberts) is a detective who also moonlights as a writer of cheap fiction. While I question his work ethics of taking inspiration from the cases he’s done, apparently the income is good. Unlike Murder She Wrote, what’s done here shows how nobody’s the wiser. He changes the names in the stories. As for how close he’s gotten to solving the crimes before writing it down depends on who you ask.
In this film, he’s asked to figure out who killed everybody at a New Year’s Eve party. The police had problems gathering the clues, and it went unresolved for many years. When the enigmatic Jack (Jason London) asks him to take a literal stab at it, what he learns is slightly terrifying.
The story here is presented like a piece of murder mystery theatre. There are a few suspects and mostly, they’re bit players to a grander scheme. And that may include Julian Richings. I feel any movie he appears in is always worth investigating. That is because he presented a very distinct air, which often works in favour of any supernatural piece of cinema.
Despite the many plot holes, some less than interesting characters, I liked the film. It’s a well-defined ghost story that includes the best elements from a detective film. My question lies in whether these dead people behave like they know they’ve passed on? Or are they out to make him the next permanent guest in Hotel California? I won’t say how it all ends, but the twist is worth it in the end!
3 Stars out of 5
Campton Manor Movie Trailer
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