The Frighteners (1996) Horror Movie Review

by Clive
(Cavite, Philippines)

Directed by: Peter Jackson
Written by: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Starring:

Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister
Trini Alvarado as Dr. Lucy Lynskey
Peter Dobson as Ray Lynskey
John Astin as The Judge
Jeffrey Combs as Milton Dammers
Dee Wallace as Patricia Ann Bradley
Jake Busey as Johnny Charles Bartlett

Have you ever watched the movie, Casper The Friendly Ghost (1945)? Well, I have and I almost didn’t watch this movie because I thought this was going to be similar. I was wrong but I’m glad I watched The Frighteners.

The Frighteners tells the story of Frank Bannister a formerly successful architect who is now building his dream house with his wife. During an argument about the plans of the house, they are in a car accident and she is killed. Because of this, Frank gains the ability to communicate with spirits.

He’s now living in his unfinished dream house with three ghost friends: Stuart, the nerd, Cyrus and The Judge, the old man with the gun. These three are the Frighteners that haunt houses so that Frank can rid them of spirits in exchange for money.

One of these houses belongs to Dr. Lynskey and her husband Ray. Though almost everyone in town knows that Frank is a conman (he’s not exactly a conman since he can really see ghosts), Dr. Lynskey still calls Frank when their house is attacked by poltergeists. After ridding of their house of these ghosts, Frank sees a number on Ray’s forehead. Soon, Ray dies of a heart attack.

The town then starts experiencing many deaths due to heart attack. The mysterious thing is the people dying are perfectly healthy, like Ray. Frank discovers the real culprit – a spirit who looks like the Grim Reaper – and it’s now up to him and the Frighteners to top him from killing more people.

The Frighteners shows a different view of ghosts. They are not depicted as they are in most horror movies; instead they are like normal people but they cannot be seen by normal people, and they are made of ectoplasm like in Ghost Busters (1984). Also, watching this movie made me think of Shaun of the Dead (2004), not that this movie is about zombies, but both evoked laughter at the same time as fright. The Frighteners especially strings comedy and horror in a way that it is a perfect match.

So if you want to scream and laugh at the same time, give this movie a try. You won’t be disappointed.