Ghost Story: The Turn of the Screw

2009 • 92 minutes
3.6
26 reviews
40%
Tomatometer
PG-13
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Downton Abbey stars Michelle Dockery, Sue Johnston, and Dan Stevens lead the cast in this sinister tale of unspoken horror and psychological terrors. Henry James's gripping ghost story, The Turn of the Screw, is vividly brought to life in this ethereal adaptation from the BBC. Ann, an inexperienced governess, looks after two young orphans in a seemingly quaint country home. But brother and sister Miles and Flora carry secrets. Soon, the home is filled with supernatural apparitions. In a haunting tale of suspense and murder, the ghosts relentlessly pursue those who believe in them - and curse those who do not. Anyone who says there's nothing to fear has never lived here.
Rating
PG-13

Ratings and reviews

3.6
26 reviews
Buya
October 21, 2017
Anyone who treasures Jack Clayton's superb 1962 filming of this Henry James novella -- "The Innocents" -- will find this recent BBC version unsatisfactory on every level. The earlier film's black and white photography which totally fit the mood of James' original story has been swapped for garish color cinematography whose starkness leaves nothing to the imagination. Changing the setting to a mental institution with the story unfolding in flashbacks was a terrible idea as was the introduction of a Freudian analyst who is trying to get Ms. Giddens to release her repressed memories about the horrors she experienced as Miles and Flora's governess. The addition of scenes that push one interpretation of what is at the root of those horrors robs the film of any subtlety. The acting, to be kind, is uneven and the direction is heavy-handed. The BBC owes James an apology.
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Tomeka Smith
June 17, 2015
Excellent short story by James. Movie is a little slow but still good.
2 people found this review helpful
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Lynnette Cushman
February 26, 2021
Great movie
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