Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Helllins It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Tom Dooley Rafe Spall plays 'ghost hunter' Harry Price. In the wake of World War I many people had lost loved ones and could not reconcile the senseless waste that had occurred and wanted to be able to speak to them beyond the grave. This included the very high and very low in society. In order to fill the void a mini industry took off of mediums and psychics who used all manner of tricks and scams to exploit their grief. Harry Price is in this field and is contacted by a high profile MP whose wife has had a bit of a 'turn' and come over all unnecessary; she in turn claims that their new home, an erstwhile 'workhouse', is haunted. He is called in to investigate and prevent the poor woman from being hauled off to the sanatorium – posh word for mad house.Now this is a TV film but has very high production values for the most part. There was some wobble camera at the beginning but that seemed to calm down – much to my relief. The acting is all top notch and a real chemistry builds between Price and the maid Sarah played by the wonderful Cara Theobold. There are some really spooky bits but this is essentially a detective story with psychic overtones and I must say I greatly enjoyed it. I hope they make some more - recommended.

journalist1 Superb, thought-provoking period piece with contemporary and feminist undertones; and there's the rub, in that, usually, I have little time for entertainment projecting contemporary liberal ideology onto period pieces, which, by dint of chronology makes a mockery of us all. However, due to the consistent quality and interesting plot I was able to set my misgivings aside and thoroughly enjoy the film. Following World War 1, known as the the Great War, most British families had lost close family members, many, more than one. As a result there was extensive interest in the afterlife, the spirit world, in that, many people wanted to reach out to their loved ones because for many, they never have had the opportunity to say goodbye, subsequently, the fad produced so-called supernaturalists, deceitful men and women keen to cash in on grieving relatives. Into this environment comes Harry Price, 'ghost hunter', a modern scientist aghast at witnessing these parasites prey on grieving families and seeks to expose both them and their methods. However, Harry, played brilliantly by Rafe Spall, succumbs to 'evoking' the spirits on behalf of a grieving soldier but the well-meaning deceit goes dreadfully wrong and his 'victim' commits suicide leaving Harry bereft. Months later, we find Harry morose and drifting, somewhat hangdog and unemployed. Into this environment arrives a senior opposition politician with an urgent need for Harry's particular skill set; it seems a promising politician's wife is being troubled by the dead and only the Ghost Hunter can help. On Harry's journey to unmask the perpetrators or confront the dead he is ably assisted by Downtons Abbey's Cara Theobold as Sara Green who puts in a marvellous performance as the hard put-upon maid of the haunted household. The supporting cast, Zoe Boyle, Tom Ward and Richie Campbell are competent as well as confident, typical of a quality British production. In closing, I believe there is, within this film the promise of a great TV show if the ITV network which produced the show demonstrates a little vision and courage. All in all a spooky 8/10.

debcfisher Okay, maybe it was rather predictable (I certainly wasn't surprised to learn who the culprit was, despite the red herrings thrown in the path). Maybe it was corny. At times it was inconsistent. BUT it was very creepy (I spent a lot of time with my hands over my eyes) and at times rather moving in its exploration of mental illness. I also liked the period sets and costumes.I thought Rafe Spall was excellent and his character made an attractive focus for the action. I'll be intrigued to see how they manage to expand it into a series (assuming that's the intention) as there is limited scope for the title character to exercise his skills.

Tweekums This fictional story is inspired by the real Harry Price, a 'psychic researcher' who investigated supposed supernatural phenomena and exposed fraudulent spiritualists. In this feature length drama, set in the early '20s, Harry is called into find out why Grace, the wife of Liberal MP Edward Goodwin, is behaving strangely after moving into their new house. The party are determined to ensure that her strange behaviour doesn't damage her husband's prospects. She is convinced that there is somebody else in the house but Harry can't find anything obvious. As the investigation continues Harry ends up working with Sarah Grey, the maid, who believes that he is a fraud.When I watched this I had no idea that Harry Price was a real person so had little idea what to expect; this might be the best way to enjoy it as this way it works as both a mystery and as a ghost story right until the resolution. The story grabbed in the opening scene when a soldier kills himself in front of Harry after taking some banal advice the wrong way… this brief scene explains why Harry stopped acting as a spiritualist himself. The central mystery is interesting which kept me guessing as to who was responsible and why. The central characters are fun to watch; even though at times it feels as if this is a pilot for a possible series; the ending, where Harry asks Sarah to become his assistant on a more permanent basis, certainly suggests that there could be more if the ratings are good enough… and if there is I'd certainly watch. The supposed supernatural elements are shown in a way that leaves the possibility that there is a ghost as well as the possibility that we are just seeing what a deluded/drugged person may be seeing. The cast are impressive; Rafe Spall is solid as Harry and Cara Theobold is likable as Sarah; the central pair. They are ably supported by the likes of Tom Ward, Zoe Boyle and Richie Campbell.Overall I'd recommend this to people who enjoy a mystery and don't want any offensive material; even the brief nudity is shown in a way that shows almost nothing without the contrivance of conveniently placed items.