Greenville, Pennsylvania, one paranormal debunker and one paranormal investigator who do not get along end up investigating the same house, its haunting, and its past.
Written by Torey Haas and directed by Tony Reames, SpookT is well-written and well-directed, done with lots of love for the genre and a very particular sense of humor. The film works even though it was not made for this specific viewer. Honestly, the whole ghost hunter thing feels overdone no matter who does it or how it’s done. Here, they do have the debunker and team her up with the ghost hunter, so it helps, but it still feels like something we’ve seen a million times before. Thankfully, this film is really well done, so it’s never boring. It does have very particular bits with the ghosts and the looks on the past that show some guts and help the film move along well.
The cast here is solid. The acting is strong and on point. Christen Sharice and Erin Brown do fantastic work playing the tension between them up and making the most of their parts while not getting along. They bring the dichotomy of their characters to life well and in a way that is interesting to watch. A lot of this is in the script of course, but the characters aren’t catty or portrayed as dumb girls fighting. They get more to do and have something to say, they show both sides of the haunting investigation world. They are the heart and soul of the film. Of course, the rest of the cast also does fantastically well, giving good to great performances, and in one case, a very odd one, that is exactly what the film needed. Keith Brooks brings the odd and the weird, his character being one that is just a little off from the start and who gets to go full-on nuts without too much hamming it up. His performance is unsettling in an odd way, and it really brings something to the film.
The film is incredibly well-shot with cinematography by Torey Haas really works with the story and locations, bringing the creepiness when needed and letting the cast shine most of the time. The film is shot clearly and with a steady hand, something that has been severely lacking in many films lately. The editing by works along with this, giving scenes the time they need, but also keeping the pace just right. The music here is by Catherine Capozzi and it’s just right as well.
SpookT is an excellently made film that uses a well-known subgenre and makes the most out of it. It won’t make fans for the subgenre for those who aren’t into it, but for those who love ghost hunting films or ghost debunking films, this is a good one to look for once it is released.