"They’re here." The 1982 horror classic Poltergeist, directed by Toby Hooper of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre fame, and highly influenced by Steven Spielberg, has been an influence for many horror films since its release. It's no surprise, especially for a horror film, that a remake would be inevitable. How does one fill the shoes of the original Poltergeist? You don’t. It’s impossible. Director Gil Kenan, who directed 2006’s animated Monster House, takes on the unenvied task of updating Poltergeist. With a few accomplished scenes and set pieces, this updated product hits all the highlights, but looses all the substance that made the original a portrait of quaint suburban life turned into a nightmare.
The Bowen family move into a suburban community and strange occurrences begin happening in their new home. Eric (Sam Rockwell) is looking for a fresh start after being recently laid off from his job and his wife Amy (Rosemarie DeWitt), a stay at home mom, is struggling to accomplish her dream of writing a book. They have three kids, a moody teenage daughter named Kendra (Saxon Sharbino), a timid younger son named Griffin (Kyle Catlett), and an inquisitive younger daughter named Madison (Kennedi Clements). The strange events heighten in severity and young Madison is taken captive by the entity. The Bowen’s, with the assistance of a group of paranormal researchers, must come together to take back their family.
The pacing for this new update is noticeable faster. It’s only a matter of minutes before the first jump scare is employed. The scares are reproductions from the original, the clown doll makes an appearance as does the spooky tree, but their scary effect is diminished because of their familiarity. The best setup is one of the only originally composed scares in the film, one that involves a drill and a hole in the wall. It’s an effective and welcome scare. Where the original film slowly and meticulously built the terror, playing on perceived apprehensions with blindsiding imagery accomplished primarily through practical special effects, this updated film utilizes a more contemporary style with the usual digital approach that has come to define many theatrical horror releases today. Amidst the familiar beats, there are glimpses of originality. Like the portal to the other dimension, which is now investigated by a flying drone and envisioned with pulsing strobes peering into the darkness. Or the promising introduction that hints at underlying strains for this family due to a damaged economy. It’s unfortunate that the narrative doesn’t try to incorporate more imaginative or creative ideas. Instead of building on the established concepts and turning this film into something freshly modernized, a quality that all the best remakes have, it feels content with being basically a carbon copy of highlights from the original.
Sam Rockwell is good here, composing a character that smiles brightly to mask the stress and anger that creeps through when his family isn’t looking. The children in the film do a decent job as well, especially young Kyle Catlett whose fear and worry are conveyed nicely with movement and expression. Jared Harris has the most difficult job, filling the shoes of Zelda Rubinstein. It's an awkward and subdued attempt that functions as a movement into the final act of the film.
The problem with the remake for Poltergeist is the past it has to live up too. If it weren’t called Poltergeist, the film would be less harshly judged. There is an expectation that exists with remakes, to what extent does the creative team remain dedicated to the source verse being original. The balance for remakes lies somewhere in between, and you can look no further than the 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Thing in 1982, or recently the 2013 version of Evil Dead for successful examples. The 2015 version of Poltergeist isn’t the worst update, but it is far from the best, and an example of another misguided remake attempt.
Movie Score: 1.5/5
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