Oh Lord this is a waste of time. Absolutely NOTHING original in this film. The acting was bad, no emotion, like they were reading from a teleprompter. I'm not sure what the first minute of the movie was about, I guess a kid scared by "Disney's Halloween Treat" would have been scared by it, but it was like a psychotic dream of someone's. The ending? Who even cared? Nothing original there either. Go watch a wall of paint dry instead of watching this movie. The reason I gave it two stars was, the castle itself was nice.
79 Reviews
The perfect move to not watch
ahjenssen-379012 September 2020
This movie has the standard haunting story, nothing new here. I am fine with that. Being a big consumer of horror films, I am used to new films using old story lines.
HOWEVER, and that's a big however, the acting in this movie is deplorable. It is painful to watch the lead female actor "acting". For most of the dialogue she appears to be reading off a script, rather than acting. It all seems very forced. It is just impossible to immerse yourself in the story when the characters are so unbelievable. As the title of this review says, this is the perfect movie not to watch - I suggest doing laundry instead, as that is bound to be a better experience than watching this movie.
HOWEVER, and that's a big however, the acting in this movie is deplorable. It is painful to watch the lead female actor "acting". For most of the dialogue she appears to be reading off a script, rather than acting. It all seems very forced. It is just impossible to immerse yourself in the story when the characters are so unbelievable. As the title of this review says, this is the perfect movie not to watch - I suggest doing laundry instead, as that is bound to be a better experience than watching this movie.
Nothing to see here
aeongale1 September 2020
Standard research crew in a haunted house shtick flick but with less screaming. Some of the make-up is good but there's no money for special effects, only a shaking camera and flashing coloured lights. Nesbitt is a good actor, and others have potential but it's marred by scenes where the dialogue is bad and feels like lines being read at each other. This would've been better suited as a TV movie 30 years ago.
If you're thinking of giving this movie a go despite it's negative reviews....
Lee-Broad24 October 2020
Please don't. You know you have those movies that are so bad, they're good? Well this isn't one of them.
I made the mistake of letting my wife have free reign over the tv remote tonight and this was the result. After 10 minutes she was asking to put Strictly back on. I told her I was going to make her watch this film until it finished. To add insult to injury, she then told me that she'd rented it (through my Sky account).
Just over half way through, my wife said she had to go and check on our daughter. I didn't see her again until after the film had finished.
I made the mistake of letting my wife have free reign over the tv remote tonight and this was the result. After 10 minutes she was asking to put Strictly back on. I told her I was going to make her watch this film until it finished. To add insult to injury, she then told me that she'd rented it (through my Sky account).
Just over half way through, my wife said she had to go and check on our daughter. I didn't see her again until after the film had finished.
Painfully Bad and Unintentionally Funny
Figaro143 September 2020
Looking for some horror films to watch during the Pandemic, I stumbled across this hot mess. The film mixes together clunky script, extremely bad acting, and the unintentionally funny moments to make for one of the single worst horror films in recent memory. Let's take for example the scene in the pub where all the characters talk ad nauseum about what Welsh Rarebit is! My favorite moment is when the medium is "seized" by one of the ghosts, and the character's response is to say, "She's gone! We can't help her." That was a laugh out loud moment. The actors playing the ghosts seem more like children dressing up for Halloween than anything remotely scary. Unless you want to use this film for a Mystery Science Theatre party, I'd suggest you use 90 minutes for something else.
Dreadful. Just dreadful.
elainagray1 September 2020
Good grief this is awful. Seriously dull monotone stilted dialogue, cringeworthy outdated cliches about the British (cue lots of comments about how we're all apparently obsessed with the weather, have terrible teeth and go misty eyed at the thought of going to America). Slow action, an entire scene focussed on a character putting her dinner in a microwave. Turned it off after half hour (the film not the microwave). Seriously don't waste your time. The first moment where it was meant to be scary we burst out laughing. We were rooting for the ghosts.
A waste of time
ronniebarner5 September 2020
Very mediocre acting as a team of ghost hunters explore the castle best thing the movie has going for it is the fact it's a real place that the movies based on. In my opinion it's a serious snoozefest as it takes forever for anything to happen and when it does happen theres no gore or anything associated with a good horror flick. So low budget that they couldnt even afford descent cgi for blood. Dont waste your time.
I gave it 3 stars merely for the scenery.
jjportia54 February 2021
So let's start with paranormal psychologists that don't believe in ghosts!?? Then being sent to a castle with a reputation for being haunted and not seeming to have any interest!?? So, I wondered what kind of idiot would even write a story line like this.
Then there's the acting....is the acting sub par, or is it the script. The story line would suggest the script, but then again maybe both. I kept waiting for the story to develop into something, but I was left wanting.
No satisfaction came from this movie right up to the end. The scenery was the only thing that was somewhat satisfying.
Low budget Film with incredible acting, lighting and storyline
kyranfitzpatrick14 November 2022
I have been alive for 32 years, watched many a film but nothing as perfected, awe inspiring, and truly beautiful as this film. I swear this film touches on how acting should be portrayed as this was a masterclass in today's acting! None of the A list celebrities nowadays have nothing on this group of champions. I was completely terrified from start to finish, literally could not predict anything that was about to happen, I was on a rollercoaster of emotions and this film, by god, touched every single last one! From the shrieking fear to the sadness of characters coming and going. I must request a sequel to this beauty as there is now a hole in my life which this can only fill.
Caroline 'Maniac' Munro playfully discussing the culinary merits of Welsh rarebit was a suitably tasty titbit!
Weirdling_Wolf23 October 2021
It doesn't feel altogether fair to focus solely on this low-budget supernatural horror film's obviously pecuniary failings, and while the admittedly derivative shocker most certainly has its myriad flaws, I would rather stress the production's more positive aspects. While 'The Haunting of Margam Castle' is fundamentally yet another rather predictably creaky haunted house yarn, replete with angsty parapsychologists, nosily Scooby Doo-ing around its ghoulishly storied, dank walled environs, the director eschews some of the more actively tedious found footage tropes in a stalwart attempt to, perhaps, harken back to the spookily cobwebbed likes of 'The Legend of Hell House', and the still greatly undervalued 'The Evil', while not entirely successful in its execution, weirdly lacking any grandstanding gore, and woefully lacking budget, I nonetheless quite enjoyed 'The Haunting of Margam Castle', especially pleasing was the welcome, and somewhat (Tea)cosy presence of UK genre icons Caroline Munro, Vernon Dobcheff, Derren Nesbitt, and the eternally wonderful Jane Merrow, again, I am usually far more forgiving than many other horror fans, but I strongly believe in supporting the more meritorious efforts of the B-Movie underdogs, but, to be entirely fair, some may find this spook-show to be a little tame, but the still delightful Caroline 'Maniac' Munro playfully discussing the culinary merits of Welsh rarebit was a suitably tasty titbit!
Absolute rubbish
neilsoncox7 September 2020
Disaster!
markdenvero3 September 2020
Well, at least Caroline Munro's in it
Milk_Tray_Guy7 January 2021
Very low budget ghost story. Good to see Derren Nesbitt, Vernon Dobtcheff, and former Hammer Glam-queens Caroline Munro, Jane Merrow, and Judy Matheson back onscreen, but the younger cast members are poor - especially 'lead' actress, Amy Quick, who is just dreadful.
Some welcome old faces and a great location scrape this a 4/10
Some welcome old faces and a great location scrape this a 4/10
Hardly a Welsh voice
mjsreg7 September 2020
Considering this was supposed to be set in South Wales I only heard ONE Welsh voice very briefly.
Apart from that, this film was very long and drawn-out viewing. At some points it seemed as though something interesting was about to get started only to fade away to more tedium.
Some of the acting was very wooden - the only saving grace being the brilliant Darren Nesbit whose acting seemed to carry parts of the film.
It is a shame. This could have been a very good film, but overall it fails to deliver and it is hard not falling asleep watching it.
Apart from that, this film was very long and drawn-out viewing. At some points it seemed as though something interesting was about to get started only to fade away to more tedium.
Some of the acting was very wooden - the only saving grace being the brilliant Darren Nesbit whose acting seemed to carry parts of the film.
It is a shame. This could have been a very good film, but overall it fails to deliver and it is hard not falling asleep watching it.
Atrocious
samsangels-390771 October 2020
I don't even know where to begin. The storyline was utter tripe and the acting were appalling. It's the type of movie that's so stupid you have to watch it to the end, just to see the idiocy even if its 81 mins of your life you'll never get back.
The movie was frightfully devoid of anything scary...
paul_haakonsen8 September 2020
I must admit that I had hoped for just a tad more from this 2020 movie titled "The Haunting of Margam Castle" than what writer and director Andrew Jones managed to deliver.
Initially I was intrigued by the movie's cover/poster, and it did seem to be a movie that could be interesting. And with it being a horror movie dealing with a haunting, of course I was interested and had to watch the movie.
However, "The Haunting of Margam Castle" turned out to be a very slow paced and even less interesting movie. Nothing much of any worth or interest happened throughout the prolonged movie, running at such a slow pace that it almost felt like torture sitting through the ordeal.
The storyline was just downright pointless and uneventful, to be bluntly honest. And that was what sank the movie well below mediocrity, because its production level was actually adequate.
For a horror movie, the most scary part about "The Haunting of Margam Castle" was how devoid of anything even remotely scary that director managed to present to the audience. And the haunts that were in the movie didn't even feel like ghosts or apparitions in any way. So it was a very stale movie in terms of frights and scares.
The acting in "The Haunting of Margam Castle" was bland, taking into consideration that the actors and actresses literally had nothing to work with. I wasn't familiar with a single performer in this movie.
All in all, "The Haunting of Margam Castle" is not worth the effort. If you enjoy a good horror movie that gives you the chills or makes the hair at the back of your neck stand up, you should definitely watch something else, because "The Haunting of Margam Castle" is not going to do the trick.
The cover/poster brandish "the most haunted building in the United Kingdom. Well, if that was the level of haunting and ghost activity, then the UK is a pretty dead zone.
I am rating this 2020 movie a generous three out of ten stars, based mostly on its production level.
Initially I was intrigued by the movie's cover/poster, and it did seem to be a movie that could be interesting. And with it being a horror movie dealing with a haunting, of course I was interested and had to watch the movie.
However, "The Haunting of Margam Castle" turned out to be a very slow paced and even less interesting movie. Nothing much of any worth or interest happened throughout the prolonged movie, running at such a slow pace that it almost felt like torture sitting through the ordeal.
The storyline was just downright pointless and uneventful, to be bluntly honest. And that was what sank the movie well below mediocrity, because its production level was actually adequate.
For a horror movie, the most scary part about "The Haunting of Margam Castle" was how devoid of anything even remotely scary that director managed to present to the audience. And the haunts that were in the movie didn't even feel like ghosts or apparitions in any way. So it was a very stale movie in terms of frights and scares.
The acting in "The Haunting of Margam Castle" was bland, taking into consideration that the actors and actresses literally had nothing to work with. I wasn't familiar with a single performer in this movie.
All in all, "The Haunting of Margam Castle" is not worth the effort. If you enjoy a good horror movie that gives you the chills or makes the hair at the back of your neck stand up, you should definitely watch something else, because "The Haunting of Margam Castle" is not going to do the trick.
The cover/poster brandish "the most haunted building in the United Kingdom. Well, if that was the level of haunting and ghost activity, then the UK is a pretty dead zone.
I am rating this 2020 movie a generous three out of ten stars, based mostly on its production level.
Appalling
hart-326797 November 2020
Sadly I wasted about 60 minutes of my life watching this disaster of a film and I couldn't even watch it to the end as it was so bad. The supposed horror scary bits were not scary at all and didnt make me jump like a really good ghost story will do
Margam castle
mcnultymartin-077842 September 2020
Hes got her HUW. Brilliant.. Ant and Dec should have been cast. But not a bad effort. Im from the area so. Know land marks etc. The game keeper is a true story. The rest im not sure. But on the whole. A good effort mr jones.
Excellent movie!
dvvmsxqf9 April 2023
Everyone please ignore all of the awful reviews .. people do not know what they are talking about. What an amazing movie , brilliant acting by the wonderful cast, really believable scary story, top notch editing. Overall a truly gorgeous film to match the gorgeous scenery. I've just finished watching it but guess what? I'm Going to whack it straight back on it was really that good!
I love the fact that every thing all made sense! Nothing was too confusing or far fetched. The whole movie looked completely real. The lights that shone on the castle towards the end of the movie reminded me of a spooky ghost tour.
Ps. I'll 100% be making me some Welsh RAREbit xx.
I love the fact that every thing all made sense! Nothing was too confusing or far fetched. The whole movie looked completely real. The lights that shone on the castle towards the end of the movie reminded me of a spooky ghost tour.
Ps. I'll 100% be making me some Welsh RAREbit xx.
Classic ghost story
coreycunningham2 September 2020
Nothing particularly original about the premise but the gothic architecture of the location which is well shot ensures the movie is dripping with atmosphere. The addition of several veteran actors gives it a bit of a Hammer/Amicus feeling but the real standout is the castle itself which feels like the most evil character in the story than the ghosts themselves. Some good old school scares.
If I could print it, I'd use it as toilet paper
ant-ambrose-905-7792317 March 2023
Absolute cr*p. Please don't waste your time watching this. The actress Sarah I think her name is. Can't act. She needs to give up acting. Absolute dreadful.
No hope for most of the rest of the cast either, but she's the worst. Monotone voices, they're talking as if they are reading their lines out of a book. No emotion to what they are saying. The story line could of been good, but no, absolutely ruined by these cretins. The producer, director etc - did they even turn up? Please don't waste your time watching this, seriously. I only put it on whilst I was working. I've seen better adverts. When furniture adverts advertising a sale are getter and more exciting.
No hope for most of the rest of the cast either, but she's the worst. Monotone voices, they're talking as if they are reading their lines out of a book. No emotion to what they are saying. The story line could of been good, but no, absolutely ruined by these cretins. The producer, director etc - did they even turn up? Please don't waste your time watching this, seriously. I only put it on whilst I was working. I've seen better adverts. When furniture adverts advertising a sale are getter and more exciting.
So bad that makes you laugh
xenite514 November 2022
I really can't add anything new to the any other review here. I have no problem with choosing a cliché story but at least you could try for some acting maybe? It is so bad that it makes you laugh. Each line, each scene they are so bad, it gives you cringe. Waste of time. If you watch a murder House documentary you certainly can engage more than this. So don't bother watching it. Not even one person acts well. I ended up turning it off after flashback scene. Because clearly this is a school project and they didn't even have money for fake blood. No further than a group of friends trying to make a so called horror haunting using only their emotionless faces.
😮
mlhare29 June 2021
Wow wow wow! I think this could have been a fantastic movie with the right actors. The main character annie is the worse actor i have ever seen... and i have seen alot of movies. I hate to be harsh but she totally ruined the movie.. the castle was beautiful and so much potential lost.
Which came first?
chrystalkay26 January 2021
Which came first, the bad writing or the bad directing? For sure once it started, there was no denying the bad acting. And with the discordance of the sound track that did nothing for the mood except knock you out of whatever feel you were trying to get for the movie. I have heard of a triple threat but a quadruple one? Do yourself a favor and find something else to do with your time. Like listen to a plant wilt or watch mildew grow. Anything would be better than this mess.
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