Blackwood (2014)
A ghost story like no other. In an attempt to leave their sworded past behind, Blackwood follows a dysfunctional families move to rural Surrey as they start their new life in an eerily sized manor house. Protagonist and college professor Ben Marshall (Ed Stoppard) attempts to rid himself of his demons with the move in a drastic attempt to piece back together a family that was never meant to be.
Overcome by ghostly visions and fearful of losing his family to a second emotional breakdown, Ben attempts to tackle the sinister happenings on his own, uncovering a local mystery that has the potential to jeopardise both the lives of his family and his family life. Plagued by the mystery, Ben’s investigation unravels, alerting him to the ominous characters of local gamekeeper Jack (Russell Tovey) and vicar Father Patrick (Paul Kaye) who both seem to have a secret. Trouble stews further when Dominic (Greg Wise), old friend and old flame of Ben's wife Rachel (Sophia Myles), enters the picture.
Without upsetting the audiences presupposed genre desires, the film force feeds ghost story tropes and clichés. Despite its certitude from the off, Blackwood is in fact a far more accomplished, modern take on the typical British ghost story than it initially asserts itself to be. Unexpectedly non-linear, the films takes the mind of the audience and drags it lengthways through a maze of forest pine. Unlike ghost stories gone, you are constantly asked to guess again as the narrative unfolds, before tripping toward another potential clue. The film relentlessly leaves the audience stranded in bleak British countryside with visual stimulants like colour grading and costume as the only primitive narrative aiders.
The location is totally adept, contradicting new family life in Surrey’s sweeping hills, with a relentless documentation of vastness and solitude in space. The performances are strong throughout, displaying an array of foible-ridden characters who lack empathy. The script is naturalistic, taking a back seat to the continual meandering of narrative.
The use of sound is subtle and strong, as a camouflage aural aid to visuals that build tension yet remain shadow-like in their secretism. The sounds prompts the audience to make assumptions while simultaneously demanding they second guess themselves.
This film very definitely asks its’ audience to decipher the narrative at character pace, up keeping its enigmatic aura until the bitter end. Comparable to Shutter Island, the motif of disorientation is key as it continually promotes a multitude of potential outcomes, convoluting the narrative and perplexing the audience triumphantly. Considering Blackwood is director Adam Wimpenny’s first feature length film, I (and my watching companion) were enthralled by such a well executed film from a genre which threatens to conform rather than surprise. A successfully thought-provoking Ghost Story / Thriller which keeps you guessing at every turn. One to watch.
30/01/2015, Candid Magazine