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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Ghost Walks remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Is this worth watching today? Honestly, yeah, but only if you have a soft spot for those old "Old Dark House" movies where everyone wears a tuxedo to a murder scene. It’s for people who find comfort in the sound of fake thunder and 1930s actors over-enunciating every single word. If you need logic or a plot that doesn't have holes big enough to drive a truck through, you’ll probably hate it. ⛈️
The movie kicks off with a car crash in a storm. It’s that classic Hollywood rain that looks like someone is standing just off-camera with a very powerful garden hose. Our main characters end up at the home of a guy named Dr. Kent. The mansion is exactly what you’d expect: dusty, full of shadows, and apparently haunted by a lady in white.
John Miljan is in this, and he has this face that always looks like he's about to deliver a very important speech. He’s great. Then you have June Collyer, who spends a lot of time looking worried in a very glamorous way. I noticed her hair stays perfect even after a car accident and a run through the rain. Impressive.
The "ghost" sightings are pretty funny. It’s usually just a person in a sheet or a blurry figure in the background. But the characters react like they’ve seen something truly demonic. There’s a scene where a guy sees the ghost and his eyes get so wide I thought they might actually pop out. It’s a bit much, but it’s part of the fun.
The dialogue is incredibly fast. They talk like they’re being charged by the second. Sometimes two people are talking at once and I’m pretty sure they aren't even listening to each other. It’s a bit like a Twitter thread come to life. Not every joke lands, and some of the "comedy" is just people being rude to each other, but it keeps the energy up.
I kept thinking about The Leavenworth Case while watching this. Both have that same "everyone is a suspect" vibe, but The Ghost Walks feels a bit more frantic. It’s definitely less polished than something like Behind the Mask, but it doesn't try as hard to be a serious thriller. It knows it's a B-movie.
There’s this one bit where a character gets trapped in a room and instead of looking for a key, he just starts throwing things at the door. It goes on for way too long. I think they were just trying to fill the runtime. The movie is only about an hour, so they had to stretch things where they could. 🕒
The writing is by Charles Belden, who also worked on some Charlie Chan stuff. You can tell. He likes the "big reveal" at the end where everyone gathers in the living room. It’s a bit predictable, but I didn't actually guess the killer until about ten minutes before they said it. Maybe I’m just slow today.
If you're into the really early stuff like The Vanishing Dagger, you’ll appreciate the stagey feel of this. It feels like a play that someone decided to film on a whim. The sets are actually pretty decent for a low-budget flick, though. The shadows on the walls are huge and sometimes more interesting than the actors.
One reaction shot of Spencer Charters lingers for so long it becomes funny. He just stands there with his mouth open for a solid five seconds. I think the editor might have fallen asleep. But hey, it adds to the charm.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even a "great" movie. But it’s a fun way to spend an hour if you like the aesthetic of the 30s. Just don’t expect to be genuinely scared. It’s more of a cozy mystery with some loud noises thrown in to keep you awake. 🕵️♂️
I’ll probably forget most of this by next week, but I enjoyed the ride. It’s better than sitting in silence. 🎬
IMDb —
1924
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