Ben Marshall, a College Professor recovering from a nervous breakdown relocates his wife and son to Blackwood house in the countryside hoping for a fresh start. It would seem Ben’s life is turning a corner until he starts to notice strange things about the house. He keeps seeing figures that aren’t there and a young boy running around bloodied wearing an owl mask. Ben becomes obsessed with uncovering the mystery of Blackwood and saving his young family.
Blackwood is a ghost story set in an old house in the English country side. Ben is played by Ed, Stoppard, his wife Rachel by Sophia Myles and their son Harry played by Isaac Andrews.
I was looking forward to Blackwood, it had a look of The Others meets the Orphanage via The Shining. Right up my street but I have to say I didn’t enjoy it at all.
The main problem with Blackwood is that Ben is such an unlikeable character. He runs around shouting at everyone, his family, his friends and the students at his new college. Who would want this guy around? Sophia Miles is underused. She is merely the victim of her clearly bonkers husband and the advances of his rapist friend.
The location and surrounding landscapes are beautiful but there’s a real lack of atmosphere. Everything is almost too well lit. There are lots of clichés, unfriendly locals in the pub offering a little exposition, a mysterious and moody games keeper played by Russell Tovey who is obviously bad news. There’s a mystery afoot but it’s just not that interesting.
It’s a real shame because Blackwood has clearly had time, love and money spent on it but nothing about it elevates it from being a tv-movie that would feel more at home on Channel 5 at 3pm.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Lacklustre and scare-free haunted house thriller that’s more suited to an afternoon watch on TV than an evening’s entertainment
