This early 2000’s hit has chills, thrills, and great performances. Above all though it has a lush and beautiful production that made long for the early 2000’s.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michele Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford, this chiller centers on a woman who begins to suspect that her house is haunted by the spirit of a young woman.

This film is such a curiosity. It has the feel and pedigree of an Oscar contender. The Oscar winner director of Back to the Future was taking a break while filming Cast Away and decided to direct this ghost story. He infused it with a brilliant cinematic eye and rich production.

Zemeckis is a filmmaker who understands the camera better than most. He knows when to hold the shot and when to cut. He knows when to push the camera in just enough to emphasize a moment without tipping over into melodrama soap opera territory.

The first sign of haunting activity is the front door creeping open on its own. Michele Pfeiffer sees the door slightly ajar. She closes it firmly shut and locks it. The camera follows her into the living room then back to the hallway. We see over her shoulder that the door is open again. She turns we cut to a medium shot with a slight zoom in on her face then a shot of the door with a slow deliberate push in. The wrong speed, the wrong angle, the wrong music cue would have turned this into a cheap 1940’s melodrama. Zemeckis knows what he’s doing and gives the moment the gentlest nudge it needs for maximum impact.

The performances are pitch perfect here. Pfeiffer nails the woman barely keeping it together. She balances the psychology of someone who isn’t sure if they are going crazy or if they are onto something perfectly. It helps that her eyes are so deeply expressive that she can convey a million little feelings within one big expression.

She’s matched by Harrison Ford as her husband. He delivers an enigmatic performance. We trust him because of his natural charisma and magnetism but his subtle expressions keep us on edge wondering if he’s really on our side. It’s a great performance.

The movie is full of fun twists and turns. The final act of the movie was so surprising and b nail bitingly suspenseful that I was surprised and thrilled at every turn.

This movie is classy. that’s the biggest word that kept coming to mind as I was watching. It’s made in a classical style. It has an air of sophistication and is made with such indelible style and panache that it feels like Alfred Hitchcock’s name should be on the credits.

My only criticisms are that it’s a little too long and the pace drags just a little bit in the mid section, but that’s a minor quibble in a very excellent piece.

This was my cup of tea. I highly recommend it. Especially if you’re looking for a movie that’s spooky but not too scary.