What I liked
This cast works well with some heavy material and some truly inventive staging when it comes to the supernatural elements. The appearance of “ghosts” is handled with a creative touch and it helps strengthen the darker side of the material. When the final scenes come and those apparitions drive home the point that the worst demons may be people in our lives, it’s powerful imagery. That’s where the show worked best for me and the cast brought a painful realism to those scenes.
What I didn't like
The piece itself is a mix of numerous styles and issues. It creates an interesting mix, but, for me, not an entirely satisfying one. The unfolding religious issues and the realizations Amy makes concerning her father’s past and how his actions have shaped this family is rich territory to explore. The father’s harshness is partial cause for his daughter’s inability to connect with others – but it makes them both fairly unsympathetic characters to follow. Veering from drama to horror with a touch of potential romance in the mix, the show struggles to find a clear tone. For me, it worked best when it finally embraced the horror vibe with confidence.
My overall impression
Primarily a fascinating and disturbing drama, the story of a young woman dealing with the death of her sister quickly spirals into fairly horrific territory. There is a haunting of some kind going on and the exploration of why spirits return is very interesting.
As the threat of demons, emotional ones and possibly other kinds, becomes more and more present, this ghost story turns into an intense exploration of religion and how it can be twisted to fit a specific agenda.
