The Horror Show
Winchester
by Michael and Peter Spierig
Helen Mirren: not the kind of lead name one would expect in a horror movie of the paranormal sub-genre. For some, that would be enough of a reason to stay away from Winchester, whereas for others, such as myself, it is an intriguing factor despite the rather low scores online. Michael and Peter Spierig, the duo standing behind the latest Saw reboot Jigsaw, tried to deliver a seat-edge thriller starring the one and only Mirren, but unfortunately, what they managed to do is resort to muddled clichéd tactics of no particular interest.
Without trying to oversimplify an already simplified plot, Winchester is a paranormal horror movie that touches upon the pressing topic of gun violence. Trying to be scary, but failing on several levels, the story follows the eccentric gun heiress Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren) in her Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. After her husband William passed away, Sarah Winchester inherited a vast fortune, and thus the impressive project of building the well-known tourist attraction came to light.
Featuring over 100 rooms, doors that open in to walls and staircases that lead to void, Sarah’s construction work was designed and closely monitored for almost 40 years. Distressed by her belief that the eerie mansion is haunted by the ghosts of Winchester rifle victims, Sarah seeks professional psychiatric help from Dr. Eric Price (Jason Clarke), asking him to evaluate her mental stability. And this is how we dive into the dark world of the paranormal realm.
Mirren’s portrayal of Sarah Winchester doesn’t do justice to her natural talent, but this doesn’t mean she’s not fun to watch. In fact, her performance is a strong asset of the film, which - in its entirety - suffers from severe lack of originality. Solely reliant on lazy fright tactics and indifferent jump scares, Winchester promises more sophisticated elements than it ultimately delivers.
The overall set-up promises an interesting approach to the usual haunted-house tropes, but the outcome kind of disappoints. Having watched every single trope in the horror genre, how excited can you really get?
Maria Kriva, HMS
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