The Skeptic
"An old-fashioned ghost story... Effectively creepy." - Dennis Harvey, Variety
Following the mysterious death of his aunt, power laywer Bryan Becket (Tim Daly) moves into the elderly woman's supposedly haunted Victorian mansion. A die hard skeptic, he dismisses one eerie incident after another, until the haunting turns so personal and vicious, Becket’s cool, unemotional veneer begins to unravel. Whispers in the night, things he sees in the darkness, clues of a horrible secret, turn our rationalist into a terrified and reluctant seeker. A seeker of a truth so unspeakable it could destroy him. And the mystery, always just out of reach down the darkened hall, is not fully revealed until the film’s final moments. And even then, it leaves a tantalizing question.
Member Reviews
it was ok - deb1
I was really looking forward to this one, as it had good reviews.
But I was disappointed. It seemed more like a movie of the week to me. The acting was OK, but I found the story not so great. There were a few scares, but nothing much.
I would not recommend this to rent, if it were on TV, it would be worth watching.Clever Title Says it All - c4th
The title says it all and is a more clever title than it appears on the surface. The Skeptic is a wonderful exploration of the human mind and its powers of preservation. What a treat to view a thought provoking piece presented as an entertaining thriller with a perfect ending.
Bryan Becket is the ultimate skeptic. He doesn’t believe in God or the supernatural. When his Aunt dies, he decides to move into her house until the estate is settled. Bryan is initially unshaken by the rumours of the haunted house and strange events during his first night there. Slowly the eerie events start to escalate and Bryan begins to be affected.
This is much more intelligent than a typical haunted house story. The focus slowly turns as the story becomes more about Becket than the house. Our die hard skeptic, facing internal demons, is forced to question what exactly it is that he refuses to believe. Accepting these strange occurrences as examples of supernatural phenomena slowly becomes favourable to the more rational explanation expected from a true cynic.
Tim Daly delivers a standout performance as a man attempting to uncover dark secrets in the recesses of his mind while consequently giving up his steadfast conviction for rational conclusion based on hard physical evidence.well done - basilbenz
Tim Daly (Sopranos) is an atheistic and unemotional young lawyer whose aunt just died, leaving him a nice old mansion. Having problems with his wife, he uses her death as a pretext to get away from his wife and move into the house to "watch it" (because it has many valuable things inside) before the estate sale. As soon as he moves in, however, there are strange noises, images and frightening details he witnesses, which begin to turn this "skeptic" into a believer. The pacing of this film is excellent, and the creepiness is truly frightening and intelligent, how the haunting reveals itself as the film goes along. Daly is perfectly cast as the hard-headed lawyer who must undergo the most terrifying assault on his senses, while Ed Hermann and Tom Arnold (with a mysterious cold)play backup as his family psychiatrist and law firm partner, respectively. Well done. 7 points.
Member Reviews
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it was ok - deb1
I was really looking forward to this one, as it had good reviews.
But I was disappointed. It seemed more like a movie of the week to me. The acting was OK, but I found the story not so great. There were a few scares, but nothing much.
I would not recommend ...Clever Title Says it All - c4th
The title says it all and is a more clever title than it appears on the surface. The Skeptic is a wonderful exploration of the human mind and its powers of preservation. What a treat to view a thought provoking piece presented as an entertaining thriller ...well done - basilbenz
Tim Daly (Sopranos) is an atheistic and unemotional young lawyer whose aunt just died, leaving him a nice old mansion. Having problems with his wife, he uses her death as a pretext to get away from his wife and move into the house to "watch it" (because it ...