DbcultAccessing Vault...
5.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Ghoul remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school, creaky British horror, sure. It’s got that specific 1930s vibe where everyone talks like they’re in a theater production, and the shadows are doing more work than the lighting crew. If you need pacing that feels modern or jumpscares that actually scare, skip it. You will probably hate this if you get bored by people standing in rooms talking about curses for forty minutes.
Boris Karloff is really the only reason to sit through this. He plays Morlant, this Egyptologist who is clearly having a very bad time even before he dies. He spends his final moments hunched over, looking like he’s personally offended by the existence of the living. It’s a great performance, even if the rest of the movie doesn't quite know what to do with his energy.
The plot is a bit of a scramble. People keep showing up at this estate like they’re checking into a hotel, only to realize the host is essentially a corpse with a grudge. There’s a scene where someone tries to sneak around a crypt, and honestly, the tension is mostly just me wondering if they’re going to trip over their own shoes. 🕵️♂️
There are moments where the camera work feels almost experimental, like they were trying to invent horror tropes on the fly. Then there are other moments where it feels like they just ran out of film and had to wrap it up in the hallway. It’s uneven, for sure.
I found myself comparing the atmosphere to In the Lion's Den, mostly because both films rely on that suffocating sense of being trapped in a space that doesn't want you there. Though, to be fair, the sets here feel a bit more like cardboard than I’d like.
The dialogue is often just people stating the obvious. "He’s not dead!" Well, obviously. He’s standing right there looking like a piece of dried fruit with a bad attitude.
It’s not a masterpiece, and it’s definitely not the best Karloff movie. But there’s something sweet about how hard they were trying to make it spooky. It doesn't quite get there, but the attempt is worth a look if you’re into the history of the genre.
IMDb —
1919
Community
Log in to comment.
