Stir of Echoes (1999)
Genre: Thriller / Horror
Duration: 99 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: David Koepp
Stars: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe and Illeana Douglas
IMDb score:
6,9 (93.304)
Releasedate: 10 September 1999
Stir of Echoes plot
"In every mind there is a door that should never be opened."
After being hypnotized by his sister-in-law, Tom Witzky begins to have visions of a young girl. Through his son, who is able to talk to ghosts, he finds out what happened in the house he lives in.
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Actors and actresses
Tom Witzky
Maggie Witzky
Lisa Weil
Jake Witzky
Frank McCarthy
Harry Damon
Debbie Kozac
Sheila McCarthy
Bobby
Vanessa Damon
Reviews & comments
Lennert
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- 2412 messages
- 1400 votes
I had already forgotten that I had ever graded this film, but that must have been at least six years ago. Still a very good film, but the 4.5 stars I used to give it may be a bit exaggerated now. In any case, it made a lot of impression in the past and still remains very impressive today. Kevin Bacon remains a top actor who perfectly portrays an approaching madness in this film.
In any case, I understand the comparisons with The Sixth Sense, but I still think it is a film that stands alone. Much rawer and darker than Shyamalan's somewhat clean film and much more intense in terms of effect. Strong direction without too many cheap scares, but above all a large dose of atmosphere and a nice gloomy effect. Also nice to see Jennifer Morrisson at a younger age, in House always thought she was a nice actress.
It's not really very special in terms of story, but the film offers a lot of quality and still stands like a rock. In any case, I'm going to skip the sequel, that can never be good.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Collins
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- 7497 messages
- 4465 votes
Nothing new under the sun. Characters who perceive apparitions have already appeared in many films. While the basic idea is anything but original, that doesn't mean that fun movies aren't being made in that genre anymore. It is actually surprising how much fun a film with such a chewed-up theme usually is.
That also applies to this movie. Uncomplicated but gripping story. Tight direction. No bad characters. Nice acting, including the child part. A ghost. A background mystery. All basic things are present..
The sinister atmosphere is unfortunately lacking on many fronts. There are plenty of moments of tension. Yes. There are also the necessary jump scares that generate tension. That too. Still, the film could have been a little darker for me. A little more intense. It is fun viewing but also superficial and safe. When everything falls into place at the end, and you go over the film again, you notice how few intense scenes the film actually contains. With a single impressive apparition and a single scene where Bacon acts a little less routinely, you're done. Especially the dark side of Bacon's character remains too underexposed.
Very nice viewing, but the film offers just too little to spend a lot of thought on it.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 11670 messages
- 6867 votes
Friendly.
Koepp made the wrong impression on me at the time with Secret Window. But of course this was only the first film I saw of him. Perhaps his other film will turn out a bit better, and in that respect this Stir of Echoes sounded a lot more interesting. You can also see right away that the ambition in terms of narrative was much higher.
Somewhat unusual choice to cast Bacon as the main character. He may have played some good roles in his time, but I can't name a few in which I found him to really impress. This is also the case here, in which his role mainly limits his freedoms. It is mainly the somewhat creative stylizations from the direction that demand the attention of the viewer in this film.
The story is fun and mysterious. For a long time there is kept in the middle what exactly is going on. A bit of a shame that the outcome is somewhat mediocre, a somewhat sour reward for a lot of revival. The red filters or a floating chair make you believe that there is more to the film than you would initially think.
Thanks to enough ideas and some nice styles it is not feasible for me to give the film an insufficient, but having said that, the film does leave you with a somewhat sour aftertaste. The acting and the tension are a bit too little to make it work fully. Fortunately, the playing time is never felt and the concept is fascinating enough.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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