STIR OF ECHOES is a classic ghost story based on a novel by the late, great Richard Matheson. It stars Kevin Bacon as a sceptic who undergoes hypnosis and soon finds himself suffering extreme flashbacks and visions of a ghostly girl with vengeance on her mind. The story has been done to death by Hollywood recently - this came out the same year as THE SIXTH SENSE, which helped popularise the ghost story genre once again - but this film works, possessing a finesse and level of quality usually missing in the genre.
The good things about STIR OF ECHOES are the reliance on good, old-fashioned storytelling over blood and guts and jump scares. It's a slow-burner of a movie and writer/director David Koepp allows the suspense to generate naturally. Most of these films have a disappointing back story when it finally gets revealed but that's not the case here - the narrative remains gripping throughout. And when it does descend into cliché at the climax, you can forgive it for the quality that's come before.
Kevin Bacon is one of those underrated actors that Hollywood doesn't really know what to do with, and he's rarely given the chance to shine. Yet when he does he burns up the screen with an energy like no other, and he's on top form as the mild-mannered husband and father who finds himself channelling a kind of supernatural vengeance. His mania is both convincing and frightening. Kathryn Erbe is also very strong as his put-upon wife, and child actor Zachary David Cope is excellent in a creepy kid role. STIR OF ECHOES is a lovely surprise, a modern twist on the ghost story that feels fresh and exciting despite its familiarity.
The good things about STIR OF ECHOES are the reliance on good, old-fashioned storytelling over blood and guts and jump scares. It's a slow-burner of a movie and writer/director David Koepp allows the suspense to generate naturally. Most of these films have a disappointing back story when it finally gets revealed but that's not the case here - the narrative remains gripping throughout. And when it does descend into cliché at the climax, you can forgive it for the quality that's come before.
Kevin Bacon is one of those underrated actors that Hollywood doesn't really know what to do with, and he's rarely given the chance to shine. Yet when he does he burns up the screen with an energy like no other, and he's on top form as the mild-mannered husband and father who finds himself channelling a kind of supernatural vengeance. His mania is both convincing and frightening. Kathryn Erbe is also very strong as his put-upon wife, and child actor Zachary David Cope is excellent in a creepy kid role. STIR OF ECHOES is a lovely surprise, a modern twist on the ghost story that feels fresh and exciting despite its familiarity.