My Review Of “The Haunting Of Pearson Place”

“The Haunting Of Pearson Place” is a paranormal horror film directed by Michael Merino which stars Joe Estevez, Suzi Lorraine, Ken Arnold, Tracy Teague, Regen Wilson, Julie Price, Mick McGuire and Kelley Slagle. The film follows a yuppie couple from the city who set out to turn an old historical property into a quaint bed & breakfast. Being that this is a supernatural/psychological horror story-where the dead have their own plans for the place, and anyone who ventures into the home- things go terrifyingly wrong.

Ghost stories are a staple in horror, and even with the new fascination with found-footage stories, one can never really tire of a good movie with bad ghosts. “The Haunting Of Pearson Place” does not disappoint in that aspect. It is a mature, serious film about hauntings that is, both smart, and dark. It stays within the traditional-vein of paranormal storytelling, much like “Darkness”, and the very classic “The House Where Evil Dwells”. There is no overexposed use of gimmicks or novelty stylizing in this movie- that is really a major plus. Most horror films become boring or redundant when relying on the latest fades in genre horror films, but the standard-contemporary ghost story is timeless. Which is what “The Haunting Of Pearson Place” is, a timeless ghost story that is chilling, and entertaining.

The story is a slow-burn, evenly paced one that never really lulls into that place of “boring”, like some films do in-between the highs. It stays at a steady pace of intense, tragic melodrama, that intertwines the character building moments with the dark, thrilling moments of the paranormal. The cast is believable, and the story is thoroughly well thought out. I did have a gripe with the main characters of Steve and Gwen, nothing really to do with the acting or their part in the plot-line, it mostly has to do with the fact that this couple should have saved their money they spent on this property, and invested in marriage counseling! I just wanted to slap them both! But hey -we all no the dead do love a nice, juicy, negative vibe-right! These people where tragically destined to horrors way before they stepped into the Pearson Place! That is for sure!

The bottom line is this-“The Haunting Of Pearson Place” is a classic chilling ghost story, filled with mean spirits-dark atmosphere and mature storytelling. It was well acted and directed with scary moments coming in at the perfect suspenseful moments. This film is a traditional ghost story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters are tragic, the ghosts- creepy, and the atmosphere is truly haunting.