User reviews

I knew nothing about "The Dead Room" prior to finding it. And when I came across it, I was instantly intrigued by the movie cover. So after having read the synopsis, I did indeed decide that this was a movie that I had to watch, especially with my love for the horror genre.

And now with the movie finished and watched, I must admit that "The Dead Room" turned out to be a really nice surprise of a movie. I hadn't really expected much of anything, so I was more than pleasantly surprised with the outcome of director Jason Stutter's movie.

There was a really good atmosphere to be found in the movie, and that atmosphere was really permeating throughout the entire movie, adding a solid foundation for the story to grow on. And it was also especially nice to have the movie start out instantly and throwing the audience into the action from the very beginning. "The Dead Room" is not the type of movie that uses an hour or so to establish the mood and with very little happening in that time. No, "The Dead Room" kicks off in a high gear from the very start and you have no doubt about what is going on.

The effects, while sparse, were actually serving the movie quite well. Again, lots of great use of the atmospheric influences, such as footsteps, banging, opening and closing doors, and the like. Everything a ghost movie needs, you will find it here.

"The Dead Room" has a very little ensemble of performing actors and actresses, so there was a bit more pressure on the performances of these few people. But fear not, Jed Brophy (playing Liam), Jeffrey Thomas (playing Scott) and Laura Petersen (playing Holly) really performed quite well, and they were very committed to their roles. These were, for me at least, three entirely new faces, so it was nice to see someone new for a change.

This is definitely a horror movie that you should take the time to sit down and watch, because it is a surprisingly good movie. And it is rare to find a horror movie that starts out as intense and fast paced as this one did.

There is a few twists and turns to the story along the way, but the major plot twist was actually quite nice, and it sat very well to my liking, and it was a great reveal once it was out in the open. I will not give anything away here, of course, because I believe that a movie should be enjoyed and experienced on your own accord.

I read that some people didn't like the ending to the movie in other reviews. I, however, found it to be an adequate ending. It was generic and predictable, for sure, it it served the movie and the story well enough.

It's one of those horror movies with a lower budget because apart of the usual swinging chandeliers, slamming doors and flying objects you won't see much else. Not that it's necessary bad if there's nothing else to see. They just worked within their budget. With the right ambiance and sound you can still create some suspense and in The Dead Room there is definitely some suspense. The last fifteen minutes you get a bit more and it's a pity they didn't do more with that in the movie. The cast is okay. I don't know any of them, maybe they are known in Kiwi land but I never heard of them. The acting is not the greatest but it's fine. All in all for a low budget movie it's still decent to watch once.

Enjoyed the movie very much, a little slow to start but a good build up. The acting was sometimes stiff, but the effects were good. I was disappointed how quickly it ended though, far too abrupt. I felt more time should have been spent on the finale. Also couldn't help but wonder how the parakeets could possibly be alive after all that time?!! Something i feel the producers, director or cast should have questioned. All in all, a pretty decent little movie.

Just about everything about this film is good. Good acting, camera- work, lighting, and so on.

The only thing that let it down as far as I am concerned is the ending.

Having built up the story (which was well written and well acted) and drawn the viewer into the events I was expecting more of an explanation through the final sequences of why they had happened.

The ending felt rushed and perhaps edited a bit too much to keep the film within time.

But apart from that, the film was enjoyable and certainly as good as similar films in the horror genre.

An interesting little movie really. The bad - The acting from some members was a bit stilted and there was no sense of history between them. We never got to know the backstory so I didn't really care for them. The reactions looked as if they were at times waiting for an offset director to give them the 'GO!' so the action can be added in later through CGI. The story line was a little too simple and the ending was a bit of a let down.

The good - loved that it was raw. Not overblown. I liked the slow build and that it felt subtle during the build-up. I liked it wasn't American, so no over the top teenagers screaming, no excessive CGI or ridiculous music. It was simple, so no 100 takes and angles, just straight shooting. As much as I complain about the actors in 'the bad' I enjoyed their presence (odd, I know).

It wasn't terrible, it wasn't great but I did think about it afterwards which is a bonus point. And, I'd watch it again.

So 5 for making me think.

People here forget to imagine what would be like being in a supposedly haunted house. There are no zombies or ghosts jumping after 5 minutes of the movie, or CGI everywhere.. and I'm glad. Slow pacing, brilliant light & shadow photography.

What can I say? It left me wanting more. Characters are uncomfortable near each other and so they should, since they don't know each other very well anyway.

The end could be extended and reworked a little better, but all in all, until the final ending, it is a thrilling experience from start to finish, one of the best suspense/horror spirit movies i saw this year.

Don't let the low grade keep you from watching it. If you like ghost movies, slow paced suspense with a somewhat real touch to happenings, this is a must.

This movie started out OK. It seemed like it had promise that way it didn't really explain what was going on, but through actions and dialogue it gave the viewers the background story.

The three characters have no chemistry and they act stiff around one another. The character of the psychic, Holly, played by Laura Peterson, is clichè: dark, moody, etc.

Jed Brophy's character doesn't say much. Jeffery Thomas was pretty good, but, again, there was the problem of the interaction between the only three actors in the film. It was stilted and boring.

Back to Laura Peterson: the girl cannot act. In a role where terror and anxiety is necessary, she misses the mark completely. I've seen 5 year olds pull off terror better than her.

My family and I stopped watching the movie 3/4 of the way in because of a malfunction. We weren't upset. I noticed my 14 year old horror fanatic was fast asleep.

The scare factor was null, the suspense was just long waits while characters walk down the hall.

Good idea for a film, started with a promise, died a slow, boring death.

It's rare to come across a horror movie that takes itself and its characters seriously. More often than not, it seems horror producers take it for granted that the plot consists of illogical supernatural things happening and people dying in gory yet cinematic ways. To this end, very little is done to give the story or the characters any heart.

This movie does just that. It has an innocent story of three ghostbusters investigating a haunted house. The characters are, not only NOT obnoxious but downright likable. I could watch 90 minutes of this even if nothing spooky happened because they managed to keep my attention and were thoroughly well fleshed out.

It's not very scary, but it gives you the delicious little glee of watching one of those 'spooky phenomenon' movies. Won't make you jump, but will make you wiggle your toes in your snuggie.

The ending was kind of rushed. I would have liked to know more about the dead room and what transpired all those years ago to put the spooks in that situation.

Overall a very enjoyable watch.

My wife showed me the trailer to this movie and I was SO freaking in! Being a fan of the show Ghost hunters helped. Two scientists and a young medium, who looked like a goth street walker, investigate a haunted farmhouse. The people who left pretty much everything behind...including their birds. BIG pet fan. Even if I was scared to death, I'd still grab my ankle biter dog on the way out! I read the reviews of other people who commented on the movie and I'm at a loss to understand their hate. I Loved this movie! Slow to start, but picks up nicely. Once things get going, I was glued to the screen. Really kept my attention and I'm not going to lie...the ending was not what I had imagined, but hey! It's a horror flick. These things don't often end well. Really ticked off my wife. I believe her exact words were..."That's it?! Come on!" I tried to reassure her that most horror films end this way, but it just wasn't enough for her. I liked it, and I hope whoever reads this will give it a shot. Much better than the last movie I commented on...Scream at the devil. UGH! My dog could film a better movie! Watch this movie! Peace!

I don't quite understand some of the low reviews for this film, except perhaps that some people only appreciate fast paced, gore infused, CGI blockbusters. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. While the premise is not unique, the acting was very good, the dialogue well scripted, and the setting was excellent. Shooting a movie with only three primary actors is difficult, this movie pulled it off. While suspense builds slowly, it works well. With the onset of supernatural occurrences, the characters, for the most part, react like real people.

The ending was unexpected, and from my perspective, added an interesting twist I did not see coming.

All in all, I was not disappointed by this New Zealand addition to the horror genre. I rarely am when it comes to international horror. If you like a simple 'haunted house visited by paranormal investigators' film, I recommend this one.

6/20/18. It delivers decent scares for what looks like a cheap, low-budget movie. Three ghost-busters investigate a haunted house and two of them want to leave because of what they see going on, moving objects, slamming doors, etc. The last 15 minutes has a no-hold-bars scare-fest that makes it worthwhile you stayed around to the end.

"I would love to capture something conclusive.. To prove the existence of the paranormal. Yeah, well, just be careful what you wish for."

If it was the intention to show how boring the study of paranormal phenomena is, you can safely say that "The Dead room" is a successful film. You never watched a horror before? Well, this is the right movie to start with then. Nothing happens in it so to speak. And when something happens (exactly at 3 o'clock in the middle of the night) it certainly won't scare you to death. You could call it Horror for dummies. Ghosthunting isn't really a fascinating profession. You can compare it a bit with a birdwatcher. You're sitting on your strategic spot and wait until you can observe something. Waiting is the message. Waiting as in the waiting room of the doctor. Fortunately, the entity that runs amok in this New Zealand cottage, owns a well-functioning watch. So it makes an appearance punctually.

When a family pack their bags and leave because there are unexplained phenomena occurring in their home, three researchers arrive to sort it out in a scientific way on behalf of the insurance company. To be honest, I would be terrified if they would force me to live in this dilapidated hovel. The team of would-be Ghostbusters consists of Scott (Jeffrey Thomas), Liam (Jed Brophy) and Holly (Laura Petersen). Scott is a vexing cynic who wants to explain everything scientifically. When inexplicable facts happen, it's always the wind, according to him. A door opens and chandeliers sway back and forth ... probably a gap in the wall which causes a draft. The house shakes on its foundation ... probably a gust of wind. Furniture moving ... yep that damn wind again. Liam is the tech geek who ecstatically places his motion-detecting cameras and infrared sensors everywhere. However, he's the first one who wants to leave the place as soon as possible. And Corry is a psychic who feels the presence of supernatural abnormalities. It's also handy to have her around since she's a kind of living thermometer.

The horror "Paranormal Activity" was a huge success. You can hardly deny that. Personally, I didn't think it was that big of a deal and therefore I've avoided the successors (I'm not a big fan of commercial exploitation). The most annoying side effect are the countless imitations that make use of this success but lack substance. Most of them simply suck. The same applies to "The Dead Room". The first hour looks reasonable. Even though there's not much going on and you have to be patient and wait just like our three researchers. The only things you can witness in the beginning are the way they install themselves, how they go through room after room in search of ghosts and make small talk. The moment things start to happen, you'll be treated to the well-known phenomena such as moving furniture, slamming doors and swinging chandeliers. The use of such dull phenomena doesn't guarantee a successful paranormal horror however.

The denouement was substandard and downright ridiculous. The mood changed completely and this "Paranormal Activity" clone transformed into a third-rate horror. The denouement came so unexpectedly and took me completely by surprise. It felt as if they made it up at the last moment. All I could mumble was "Damn, that's it?". However, all praises for those three daredevils because although there were some life-threatening and quite frightening situations, they still went to bed hassle free and willingly. As if nothing was going on. Probably they've accepted that it really was the wind that caused it all. Honestly, reality shows shown on television are more frightening to me than this bland movie.

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This flick contains so much bad filmmaking that it's pretty hilarious, so overall not entirely unenjoyable!

It's a "ghost hunter" kind of thing complete with poor dialogue/acting (especially the female lead), hilariously fake sets toward the end, continuity errors, unmotivated lighting (you know, brightly lit faces in supposedly dark areas, nice constant overhead light underground, and what has to be the brightest moonlight I've EVER seen), way, way overdone color processing and fake vignette, and to top it off a nonsensical ending that brings zero closure to the whole farce.

We giggled and rolled our eyes throughout the film with my partner. I'm giving it a generous four stars, since it's the fun kind of bad, rather than annoying.

I've never seen anything quite like this, I loved the atmosphere, slow pacing at the beginning (which usually turns me off) and the gradual build & twists to a frightening end. I can't understand in the slightest where the current headline review sees this as a run of the mill movie & he knew everything that was on the cards, psychic much??

Was it perfect, no, of course not, occasionally the performances where a little 'off' but it passed quickly. All in all I found it different, quite eerie & it held my attention from beginning to end. I would happily recommend this to all looking for a ghost story with an enigmatic twist & a couple of really ticked off spirits.

Horror from other countries is usually deals with something unexpected. This one was as well.

"Was it interesting?" I like the idea of little back story. Our characters are put in a situation and just go from there. The "science vs mysticism" was alright as well.

2 out of 3.

"Was it memorable?" The acting wasn't anything special. The special effects were adequate with exception of the green screen "outdoor" shot which were horrible. The twist at the end was slightly predictable but still good.

1.5 out of 3.

"Was it entertaining?" Not fighting ghosts while still fighting back was a bit annoying. The ghost hunters that don't seem to check their evidence consistently is always a bad part of supernatural horror. The character interactions were boring.

1 out of 3.

Starting with 1 (because "he" said so), 1 + 2 + 1.5 + 1 = 5.5 I'm going with 5. This movie tried to do things different, but not enough to make it above average.

The Dead Room is an enjoyable "by the numbers" horror from down under in New Zealand.

Its nice to see a horror film that's not from America.Indeed, this flick does have a slightly different feel to it. It employs a local cast with your typical "fush and chups" Kiwi accents. Its a refreshing change.

In terms of story line this is formulaic stuff. As some have pointed out too, the end is a bit contrived and predictable. I agree but this film still offers up some good scares, nonetheless.

Its well acted too, gaining pace and gradually building tension. The scares are well managed and there is a sense of cold, icy menace that infuses this film.

All in all, quite watchable. A seven out of ten from me.

This is the third good film I've seen from New Zealand in the past year, and I was surprised to see it having such a low overall rating. "The Dead Room" is absolutely worth your time, and worthy of a much higher rating. Laura Petersen does some incredibly good acting in this film, and it's surprising she's never had bigger roles. The other two actors do a very good job as well. The straight-up suspense horror in "The Dead Room" is truly excellent. This is a truly great horror film; something even a horror great like Wes Craven would be proud of, even if it's not in his "roary-gory" style. It's not what you'd expect from the description either, and it's a wonderful film. It throws-out all of those dumb clichés from haunted house films and does something quite refreshing and original with the idea.

There are several things I love about this film. First, the use of characters & proper writing. In so many horror films, we get the displeasure of having to "get to know" the characters, and there's often a bit of sexual tension between one or more of them. In "The Dead Room" we are simply given three characters who are all quite different, but otherwise we know very little about them. They're investigating a haunted house as paid, professional ghost hunters, and that's all we know. The rest we gather about the characters is assumed from their actions.

Secondly I loved the cinematography. It is superb. You'd expect a lot of "found footage" type camera-work from a film about three ghost hunters, but you won't find any in "The Dead Room". The camera was used to great effect in this film, and the crew gets my full applause for that.

Another thing worth mentioning is the use of atmosphere over CGI, effects, or makeup. There are no special effects used in this film aside from some tasteful ones which are only used for creating some subtle visuals. The house is the main character of this story, and it's a wonderful actor. Instead of a "big" soundtrack with lots of suspenseful music, the sounds of this rickety old country home provide the audio, and it works to great effect.

Finally, on the subject of actors--or rather actresses--Laura Petersen is just awesome in this film. She hasn't had many other roles, but you'd never know that. Her acting here is just as excellent as some of the best girls of Hollywood. Lauren is a totally believable actress for her character, and the one the audience will sympathize with the most. I admit to being a bit biased in this respect; I just loved her character and think she's absolutely, positively beautiful! However in all honesty, I really do not feel my love for her beauty clouds my judgement of the quality of her acting. She is superb, period.

I watch a LOT of films. Horror is one of my favorite genres, but it's sadly dying at the hands of a great many bad producers, directors, actors, and so on. I'm so happy to say that "The Dead Room" is a true breath of fresh air. I haven't liked a newer horror movie this much since "The Babadook" (which was amazing). While "The Dead Zone" MAY not scare the pants off of you like "The Babadook" did with me, it's still 100% on-par with that level of great acting, direction, and cinematography. Lauren Petersen, as I've said, does an excellent job as our sort-of main character, and her character is an excellent centerpiece in this film.

If you want something scary to watch tonight, see "The Dead Room". You will not be disappointed with this one!

Indeed, was a good movie with great moments of scary and more mystery but why to made a movie and you mess it up with such a stupid final? Why are more movies made just for the sake of making a film and mobbish the end? These filmmakers are not able to find a logical end or mock us for their proper satisfaction? In this days all are SMART.Smartphones, smart-TV, overall smart-devices.

But the end of many movies are SILLY AND BRAINLESS! Movies like Honeymoon, 400 Days, Deep Dark, The Forest, Crimson Peak, Before We Go, Z for Zachariah, The Curse of Downers Grove, The Pyramid, Oculus, The Last Days on Mars...and more...these movies have a miserable final and now this Dead Room...

Take lessons from how well it ends I Origins or Devil's Pass(The Dyatlov Pass Incident) or Predestination! This is shameful and derision for us, those who want to see a good movie WITH A GOOD,LOGICAL AND CLEVER END!!!