Shutter may have a somewhat frightening and slightly disturbing cover, but the actual film is so predictable there is never a chance for any tingles of the spine.
The film is yet another in a line of Hollywood remakes of Oriental horror movies and attempts to capture some of the scares that the 2004 Thai original (which I haven’t seen) reportedly had. To accomplish this task, the film cast Dawson’s Creek alum Joshua Jackson and Transformer’s star Rachael Taylor.
Shutter features the basic “ghost story” plot. American photographer Benjamin Shaw (Jackson) and his new wife Jane Shaw (Taylor) are in Japan where he has taken a photo assignment. The couple is going to enjoy a short honeymoon before he has to start work, but get into a car wreck driving late one night.
Jane swore she saw a girl walking in the center of the road in the dead of night and swerved the car to miss her – which landed the happy couple in a ditch. The accident is soon forgotten by Benjamin, but seems to linger in Jane’s mind thank to images of the dead girl popping up in the honeymoon pictures.
Back at work, Benjamin and Jane start to realize there might be something supernatural going on as roll after roll of Benjamin’s film seem to feature smudges and images that they are told could be proof of a ghost haunting them.
As the plot continues, familiar pieces of the puzzle start to fall in place with little mystery. Since the film is following its blueprint to the letter, there is never a chance for you to really get caught up in the story or what the couple is going through on screen.
The ghost appears at all the right times, and often looks like something left over from The Ring or The Grudge. The “jumps” are so well telegraphed that there is never any chance of a real scare – despite some decent make-up effects and good use of lighting and camera work.
For the most part, Jackson and Taylor do a good job in the film, but never really have a chance to break out of the formula. Taylor seems the classic “scream queen” and tormented wife.
Jackson drops all kinds of hints to the film’s twist ending – some so big that in the opening minutes you already know where it is heading. He also seems to be trying too hard to be taken seriously in the film – at times I thought the movie might be moving into parody territory.
The formulaic feel of the movie is sad because the story isn’t half bad, and there are some moments where it could be halfway creepy. I liked the “ghost caught on film” aspect of the story, but am personally tired of the whole “revenge ghost” plot. Instead of creeping me out, it just made me really want to watch the original version to see how much better it was done.
Shutter comes with some decent special features that take you behind the scenes to show how the ghost story came to life. They include: "A Ghost in the Lens"; "A Cultural Divide: Shooting in Japan"; "The Director: Masayuki Ochiai"; and "A Conversation with Luke Dawson."
There is also a look at the ghost photography phenomenon with "A History of Spirit Photography"; "Create Your Own Phantom Photo" and "The Hunt for the Haunt: Tools and Tips for Ghost Hunting." The disc also includes some commentary, and deleted scenes.
Shutter had a decent story, but it is one that has been told too many times and has been told better. I enjoyed some aspects of the movie, but the formulaic feel just kills any momentum and creepiness the story can build.
Shutter is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a Sept. 8th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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