Hauntology (2024) Review

Catching up with runaway sister Venus (Jaidyn Triplett), Jazmin Price (Samantha Russell) agrees to take her sibling far away from her troublesome situation at home if she feels the same way after she’s been given a tour of her hometown and the spooky stories involving their ancestors. It’s anthology time, folks, which always piques my interest, and this one focuses on both LGBTQ+ society and people of colour so I was looking forward to writer director Parker Brennon bringing their unique and vibrant perspective to the portmanteau pic.

I’m disappointed, and incredibly frustrated, that Hauntology does not only miss the chance to truly freshen up the subgenre but also lacks some comprehension of those magic elements which make the format sparkle. The template is there: framing device; four different tales spanning the years (plus a bonus mission for the sisters at the very end); a sprinkling of fan-friendly casting in the form of Nancy Loomis, Naomi Grossman and Samantha Robinson. The execution, however, tends to fall bewilderingly flat at key points.

The premise of a town – and family history – beset with hauntings is a good one, as is the idea of those labelled as outcasts returning to right wrongs, but each example of this is handled in such a perfunctory way that the viewer is left wondering what the actual point of each story was other than folks who weren’t straight and white had it really bad back then and continue to have it pretty bad now. It’s a laudable message but it doesn’t land the way it should because the material is often so listless.

The individual segments feel like they could have popped with a further rewrite. There’s always the kernel of a decent concept but it’s never developed beyond surface level and there’s a rush to a finish which is so hazily drawn that I was surprised at more than one point when the film returned to the sisters’ drive to their next stop. When your audience is thinking “Oh! Is that how it finished?”, the piece isn’t doing its job in terms of memorable, or even satisfactory closure. The short format is fertile territory for a doozy of a payoff and it gives me no pleasure to tell you that Hauntology never comes anywhere near to delivering that frisson.

At least the first vignette – Witchcraft Becomes Her – has the unforced charisma of the amiable Grossman as a formidable adversary of dark forces and steadfast, witchy companion for recently transformed Julian (Ace Rosas, then Zoey Luna) but the allegory for trans acceptance is so low in the mix that I was wanting the approach to be a little bolder, as opposed to the low-key antics of a demon who’s defeated with such relative ease that I was waiting for a late in the day return that didn’t materialise.

Second up is The Day Mabel Came Out Of The Grave, focusing on a crumbling relationship between a couple called Iris and Jade, the latter being drawn to graveside of Mabel Bishop, an out and proud woman murdered by a dreadful, 19th century bigot oft referred to as The Man With The Hat – or is it The Man In The Hat, or am letting Dr. Seuss influencing my thinking? In any case, with his ghostly pallor, he couldn’t be whiter in every sense. With the title, I’d hoped for some of the wildness of Emilio Miraglia’s 1971 giallo but it ends up being too throwaway, popping back for a post-resolution bit of business in case you wondered what happened to one of the protagonists.

The near-giallo titling continues with Paint And Black Lace as business and life partners Shane and Owen decide to rip off supposedly discovered paintings from noteworthy, deceased art world figure May Felner and then finding their associates being offed by a black-gloved killer. This does have the advantages of a couple of bloody killings and some zingy back and forth via the supporting characters and it does bring the fun I’d hoped for elsewhere, as well as featuring Samantha Robinson who’s as great as ever.

The “final” story sees reporter Madeline Ishii (Lindsey McDowell) heading to The Old Dark Cashel House and falling foul of the previous, hat-wearing racist who takes issue to her phone use. This does take the opportunity to include a decent, if expected, jump scare but the overall story only serves at a stepping off point for the actual, final story which sees the sisters square off against Hat Man before he gets his ghostly hands on Venus, which leads to a pleasing parallel of the opening stanza.

I feel that Hauntology is a missed opportunity to attract an audience who would normally be reluctant to view LGBTQ+ content. I understand the decision to downplay the messaging to some degree but this results in a movie which felt, to me at least, oddly reluctant to celebrate difference. I still think, as ever, you should watch this and make up your own mind because there are elements to enjoy here. I just wish I could wholeheartedly champion this more.

Movie Rating:

Hauntology trailer