Ghost Light (II) (2018) User Reviews

fun movie that Shakespeare buffs may enjoy more than me

[rmarkd · 6/10 · 11 June 2020]

Ghost Light is a movie about a theater troupe doing a MacBeth play in a small barn/theater in the countryside. Two of the actors end up cursing the play by yelling "MacBeth" outside of the play (something I didn't realize was a thing). Afterwards, spooky things start to happen that then escalates more and more until the actual opening of the play, where things go ape-s*** crazy.

At the time of this review, the movie had a 5.1 rating, which I was surprised to see. I rated it a 6 and figured I'd be on the low end.

The group of characters play well against each other. It kinda reminds me of the characters in Clue. The story is different, but the characters play well off each other and all have their quirks. IMDB has this as a horror/comedy. It's not LOL type comedy. The jokes are cute and get chuckles, which I feel was the intent. The horror isn't SOL (scream out loud), but there are a couple of surprise scenes.

As I said, I rated it a 6, but feel like someone who knows MacBeth better might pick up on things I missed and rate it higher. Parts of the movie did seem to drag, but all in all, I enjoyed.

Great Cast..so-so movie.

[jorgito2001 · 5/10 · 14 October 2019]

With the likes of Tom Riley, Cary Elwes, Carol Kane, Roger Bart & countless others, I thought I was in for a treat. And although it has some funny moments and a few "scares", its neither hilariously funny nor scary creepy. Maybe if you're a big fan of the Theater, Shakespeare and Shakespearean superstition you might appreciate it more, but I found it only mildly entertaining at best.

Loved this movie

[johnpenneynews · 16 October 2018]

We were grateful to have caught this flick at the Woodstock Film Festival. It was showing at noon in a small town about 45 minutes from us. But the plot sounded intriguing, and the movie did not disappoint. Great ensemble cast (indeed, the movie ended up winning a special award at the festival for ensemble cast) and , just the right use of special effects for a dark comedy that sought to spook you a little bit. This is a gem of a small-budget movie.

A hidden gem?!? Lmfao!

[realityinmind · 1/10 · 28 August 2019]

This movie is horrible. I give it a 1 just to offset all the people who gave it an 8. This is a 3.5 at best. This movie is soooooooo slow and boring. How is it comedic?? 15 minutes into the movie and there wasnt one joke. All the actors are at commercial level... meaning they belong in commercials. Wtf is this movie even about? 15 minutes in and the only takeaway is that the play Macbeth is cursed. And that was said within the 1st minute. This movie sucks. Str8 up. #Facts

Unexpected....

[dionrenee · 7/10 · 22 September 2019]

So I'm home looking for something scary and I come across this little movie I've never heard of. Is it scary, is it a comedy, at first it's hard to tell. Looks like a Hallmark movie at the start! But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! It's so unexpected. It's so cute with a touch of creepy, and just a great story. I didn't look at reviews until it ended and I'm happy to see most agree with me!

Non stop cliches and cheap arguments

[mike-c-b · 2/10 · 3 April 2020]

I'll take a look at anything Elwes does, and he is good in this, but almost every other actor does not put in any effort. Blank faces and cliche lines.

The story could be anything, but why continue to watch something where no one's trying, and no one's picking it up...

What fun!

[sugarqueen2 · 7/10 · 26 February 2020]

It's not often that I see a film like this. I love it that the play took on a life of its own, especially with Macbeth and all the associated mythology. This was a lot of fun to watch.

The Scottish Plays' Curse Strikes Again!

[heratyplant · 2/10 · 15 October 2022]

There are small, quaint theatres, or theatrical spaces, usually in a busy urban area, & then there are barns in the middle of nowhere, that would never exist, guess which this one is?!

Then there's the rambling, gothic, scary old mansion in a dark forest, where everyone gets separated at night down long dark corridors, nope, they couldn't get that location either. You may be getting my point, when you can't get the right locations to give your film half a chance, then maybe don't bother.

Then there's some pretty well known names, topped off by Cary Elwes & Carol Kane amongst others including the rest of the less well paid cast. Oh dear, what a terrible come down for them, perhaps this is one of those projects that you do as an actor to keep your acting benefits up to date & SAG membership active, who knows!

I know what this is trying to be & those films are great fun, this isn't that & it can't be, it simply doesn't have the right resources to do that, so do something else. Kane's performance also calls it wrong, she's being some kind of grand, pompous old skool West End/ Broadway star from the 50's fallen on hard times & doing regional theatre, but that character would be miserable & would refuse to perform in a barn, so none of it rings true.

There is much better than this, so sorry, but don't bother.

Great Cast....Fun Movie

[gonzogal-90544 · 7/10 · 11 November 2019]

I just finished watching this & I really enjoyed it. It was just what I needed & expected. Don't try to make this movie into anything....just kick back & enjoy the story. It could've been a bit darker & sexier, but as it is, I dig it....recommend= yup

Light Comedy Thriller With A Shakespearean Twist

[fcwemyss · 8/10 · 14 July 2019]

This is a neat little comedy with an edge of suspense. The premise is basic: A theatrical troupe gets together on an old estate in New England in order to rehearse and present MacBeth. It being "the Scottish play," things go wrong. If you know a little about theater, you may know that productions of Shakespeare's play about a murderous pair of royals often go awry. Alec Guinness, for example, got the worst reviews of his life for a MacBeth he did in 1963 or so. (I've heard the audio version he did for Caedmon. It sounds like a great performance to me.) Actors, directors and producers have stories about bad productions and disasters surrounding the performance of MacBeth. Ghost Light makes clear from the start the superstitions around the play. You do not have to know much more than that to enjoy what is a nice, light look at people who make theater for the love of it. There is a lot of nuance in this film. The actors are shown in multiple lights. Carol Kane is sympathetic as an overplaying Witch, Cary Elwes, who, at first, seems like a self-centered ham, becomes a serious MacBeth. Roger Bart as the stressed, kindly director, centers the movie. If you know the play fairly well, you'll notice the parallels between the actors' lives and those of the characters they play. The cast in uniformly good. Shannyn Sossamon is very convincing as the lady who wants to play Lady MacBeth. Tom Riley, whose character rehearses Macbeth when the actor whose supposed to play him is momentarily out of commission after a mysterious on-set accident, is really good at playing an actor AND playing MacBeth. Liliane Klein and Zele Avradopoulas as the landladies who lease their space to these over-ambitious but weirdly gentle troupers, highlight the world outside the play, until...well - watch it. The special effects are good, and, indeed, a movie which has, as its goal, the idea of showing how and why this particular play makes actors a little cray-cray, should have good special effects. This is an enjoyable way to spend a little over ninety minutes. if you have affection for theater and enjoy a few riffs on a bardic theme, this is for you.

An original idea, funny yet achieves a creepy vibe

[storyteller-69195 · 8/10 · 5 July 2019]

Movie gets 8 stars for being an original concept alone. But the execution lives up to those 8 stars, as well.

Bare bones outline is in the synop. But they give us some "stock" characters working in summer stock, yet those characters take some very interesting turns.

Great acting by most every one, including the female lead and Cary Elwes, who has to act like a bad actor.

Funny, surprising, and yes, as noted, achieves a very creepy (and strangely satisfying) vibe at the end. Well worth your time.

Entertaining

[karrinna · 8/10 · 28 January 2021]

Maybe I have no life. But I really liked this movie. This is a great forget about life and laugh a little movie. It has comedy, mystery and a feel good atmosphere. And I love movies with beautiful scenery. Worth the watch.

Blown Away by this Indie Movie

[roxysteve-153-626896 · 10/10 · 13 January 2020]

I saw this while I was deathly ill over Christmas 2019. Realizing my wife would *love* it I recorded it from an earl-hours re-screening and we watched together two night later. And again the next night. Four days later I gave her the DVD I had ordered on the second viewing, so we watched it again.

A delightfully acted, internally consistent and wonderfully entertaining little black comedy ghost story. I've never been so glad to have had pneumonia and been able to catch this gem.

Everyone turns in a great performance. We roared with laughter over Cary Elwes portrayal of the rich but under-talented Alex Pankhurst performing the "is this a dagger" scene, and Tom Riley and Shannyn Sossanon are perfect in every way. Steve Tom's Elliot Wadsworth chews the scenery with gusto and Carol Kane's Madeline Styne is magical.

But for me, I think the best parts are the reactions of Roger Bart's Henry Asquith and Scott Adsit's Archie MacIntosh to the actors' shenanigans on-stage and off. It took me back to my brief stint as stage crew for a local am-dram group.

My wife and I have been talking about this film ever since, and have been recommending it to anyone too slow to get out of theater.

I can think of only one thing I would have changed, but my wife thinks I'm being stupid and she's usually right so I'll shut up.

A Gem, Don't miss this.

[bhagenbuch · 8/10 · 18 June 2019]

This was a lucky find. I saw it at the Folger Shakespeare Library in DC. I'll definitely watch it again. The plot is tight and surprising and very dark. The cast is superb and clearly in tune with one and other. The film will have a wide appeal, but especially for folks who know the Scottish Play.

Fun and different

[loverofcoffee-03397 · 9/10 · 18 December 2019]

The cast and plot drew me in. I'm not a huge horror fan so I was pleasantly surprised. It stayed true to telling a story with a dash of dark humor and it doesn't overwhelm the viewer with over-the-top gory scenes.

If you love Shakespeare's Macbeth and have a sense of humor

[lorimar-70771 · 9/10 · 8 April 2022]

This is such a fun romp! Good casting, plot consistent and tight, great music scoring and selections, great use of Macbeth play and a curse upon it. This film is so witty and entertaining! Not sure what all the haters and low scores are about. It was not supposed to be some academy award winner, but the tight plot, all the story telling, and how things progress relative to Shakespeare's Macbeth is engaging. It is humorous, easy and subtle frivolity and ghostly entertainment. Some may find it slow, but they probably also don't care much for performances of the actual Shakespeare play. And for staunch Shakespeare fans, broadening the idea to appeal to an audience outside some strict formality is likely akin to blasphemy. Like Shakespeare himself wouldn't have enjoyed this as a playful diversion!