A highly dysfunctional suburban family find themselves beset by evil spirits on Halloween night. Director/co-writer Luke Jaden relates the enjoyable and engrossing story at a constant pace, takes time to develop the characters, ably crafts a spooky ooga-booga atmosphere, and stages the shock set pieces with aplomb. The solid acting by the capable cast helps a lot: Jaden Piner as scared son Caleb, Rob Zabrecky as uptight religious fanatic dad James, Aurora Perrineau as rebellious teen daughter Morgan, Jill Marie Jones as bitter drunken pillhead mom Elyse, and Charley Palmer Rothwell as Morgan's concerned boyfriend Ashton. The uncompromisingly bleak bummer ending packs a jolting punch. Jon Natchez's shivery score hits the shuddery spot. Nicholas Wiesnet's sharp cinematography provides an impressive polished look. A worthwhile fright film.
Review of Boo!
