Written and directed by Jason M.J. Brown, a young teenager named Morris dies tragically on a train line, his friends helpless to save him. Now adults, his former friends find the spirit of Morris seems to be out for revenge. Starring: Adam Probets, Tamara Glynn, Lamissah La-Shontae, Darren Randall, Katie Richmond-Ward, Lisa Poisman, Natalie Biggs and Darren Whitfield.

Being haunted by a deadly mistake of your past is a staple of horror cinema and for good reason because revenge is always a satisfying motive. The opening hits that classic note of previewing what’s to come, and even though to a certain extent, you know where Ghost Trackis going, it doesn’t take away from the story as a whole. It has a few individual spins to add into the mix and it paces itself out well. That’s one of the key notes to hit with a plot like this, if you focus entirely on the buildup, the ending will never be as satisfying as you want it to be, whereas Brown progresses the story well. It’s not rushed, no-one is definitively safe and it still goes for that big finale.

There are some elements that it struggles with both visually and with its atmosphere, the one which stands out fairly quickly is the cinematography and colouring. Part of hitting that big note of tension and suspense is having an aesthetic which can capture darkness and thrill, unfortunately, Ghost Track can’t quite get there. Fitting a more dramatic, everyday style, although it does manage to add tension into the tone but without a bigger vein of risk or danger to elevate it, it’s not working as well as it could. Especially in that the editing and score similarly also aren’t pushing to build that edge.

When it comes to horror films, performances can tend to be a bit of a mixed bag, with actors either going too big or too small and that’s kind of what you get with Ghost Track. There’s never any hugely over melodramatic moments but the responses don’t always hit the right note. It can also be somewhat wooden at times, particularly with the child actors. The same goes for the effects work, some is better than others, dealing with the ghostly element especially. Rather than only showing glimpses, Morris is seen fully and without a big CGI or physical effects budget, it dampens things. It’s giving you too much on a platter, rather than allowing you to use your imagination to up the fear factor.

Ghost Track has a solid concept and works with some classic elements of horror. It moves with good pacing and progression, unravelling its story well but the visual tends to hold it back. It’s missing that sharpness or shadowy quality to the aesthetic to compliment the elements of its story, and push the tension and suspense further.

Verdict: ✯✯✯| 6/10

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