Spook Out! Day 7 ~ Ghost Stories (2017)

Hulu Says...
A man looking to debunk a series of paranormal events falls into a world of terror.

I Say...
If only it were that^ straightforward.

Horror Type...
Supernatural, Psychological, Thriller

Main Players...
Andy Nyman as Professor Phillip Goodman (Naysayer)
Alex Lawther as Simon Rifkind (Nervous Wreck)
Martin Freeman as Mike Priddle (Weirdly-Aloof-Father-To-Be-Kinda)

I liked...

• the actors' performances, which were excellent throughout
• the framing device's opening premise
• the jump scares that let you see long enough to understand what was happening

The Meh...

• the Mike Priddle character impresses upon the audience how much he wanted kids, but when his wife's in labor at the hospital, he's at home doing work (and given how rich he is, it doesn't seem necessary, so this just doesn't ring true for me)
• the jump scares that were too short to let you understand what you were seeing (which rather killed the second "ghost story" for me)
• about that second ghost story--there was a weird moment with the main character's parents that misdirected my attention, making me think they were a pivotal part of that story when they weren't (well, not in the obvious way)
• the framing device's "closing bracket" really pissed me off

Would I recommend it...? (Beware, thar be SPOILERS in this bit!)

Ugh. This one's hard. There's great talent in this, and the internal stories are pleasantly creepy. But as the "closing bracket" of the framing device thoroughly undoes the entire film, I just don't see the point of it. Well, I guess I do, as there's a conclusion to be drawn from how the thing ends (which is horrifying in itself). But I just generally hate this kind of--IMO--cop-out ending, so I can't recommend anyone becoming emotionally invested in Ghost Stories. On the other hand, lots of critics and viewers enjoyed the ending, so YMMV. All I can tell you is that it's been several hours since I watched it and I'm still simmering.

Miscellany...

• Enjoyed seeing Andy Nyman in this serious role, as I've only ever seen him being ridiculous(ly funny) in the excellent, original version of Death at a Funeral. (I think the American remake is excellent, too.)
• You may remember Alex Lawther from Black Mirror's third season Shut Up and Dance episode.
• And if you don't know the magnificent Martin Freeman from all the great things he's done, then what hope is there for you?

Ratings...

My Grade: C
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=83%, Audience Score=59% 

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Ghost Stories on Hulu (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

Ghost Stories' IMDb Page

Ghost Stories' Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 7 of