The Pact

If you look hard enough, there's a fair bit to like about this mildly chilling debut from writer/director Nicholas McCarthy. Caity Lotz plays Annie, who returns to her despised family home after the death of her mother only to be greeted by some deeply spooky goings-on. Both her sister and her cousin disappear, and then, in a well-realised early sequence, she is actually flung about the place by a spectral force. Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) co-stars as the sceptical cop who slowly gets drawn into her story. Unfortunately, the first half promises more than the second half delivers: while the best haunted-house tales (The Legend of Hell House, The Shining) rely on a slow accumulation of atmosphere and dread, McCarthy never quite manages to make proceedings truly unnerving. But even if you're not going to have trouble sleeping after watching the film, there are enough shocks and twists to at least keep you wide awake during it.