The Quiet Ones has its moments: some tense, atmospheric, quiet ones, and some VERY LOUD ONES!

Pogue utilises the (clichéd) old house setting effectively, and the cattle-prod scares give equally predictable payoffs to the build-up. However, it tries too hard to be Paranormal Activity: 1974 with distracting handheld camera footage supposedly chronicling the ‘real events’ (but don’t be fooled).

But this is in many ways a classic Hammer horror film; simple premise, few locations, dodgy effects, period setting and budget cast; but Harris ham(mer)s it up with wicked glee and the film is consistently fun and unnerving.

A solid, entertaining effort that suggests the freshly-risen corpse of Hammer Studios won’t be returning to the crypt any time soon. Could Harris be the new Peter Cushing? Based on this, I hope so.

Rating: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne

DIRECTOR: John Pogue

WRITERS: Craig Rosenberg, Oren Moverman, John Pogue, & Tom de Ville

SYNOPSIS: An Oxford Professor is convinced that he can draw out and dispose of the negative energy from a young patient that manifests itself as a poltergeist-like telekinetic force. However, the his assistants begin to doubt his scientific control of the experiment, and worry there is an older, deadlier, force at work…