Poltergeist

Things have been looking better for the Bowen family: father Eric ( Sam Rockwell ) is without a job, and mother Amy ( Rosemarie DeWitt ) is simply not getting on with her novel. With money starting to run out, the couple moves their three children, Kenda ( Saxon Sharbino ), Griffin ( Kyle Catlett ), and Madison ( Kennedi Clements ), to a new home in a slightly more affordable area. However, everyone’s enthusiasm about it is limited, all the more so since it is haunted shortly after it has moved in. When Madison disappears without a trace, the Bowens seek professional help: the parapsychologist Dr. Brooke Powell ( Jane Adams ) and TV host Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris ) should get to the bottom of the matter and bring back the youngest family member.

Poltergeist is an entertaining movie, and also very entertaining, which is largely due to the dry humor of the fantastically acting Sam Rockwell. Overall, there is little to complain about in terms of the ensemble of actors, although, as expected, one could not find an equivalent replacement for the iconic Zelda Rubinstein from the original. The remake will certainly not be a classic in its own right, but it lacks its touch: it’s on a decent level that should mostly satisfy fans. Without the big title and the big names on the poster, the horror film would hardly be worth mentioning.

• Poltergeist