Nitzan Havoc For a huge Horror fan such as myself, one of the more frustrating and/or disappointing experiences in regards to films is watching one I've mistaken to be Horror when it isn't. This has happened to me more times than I'd care to admit while seeking out new films to watch (and by "new" I mean films I haven't watched yet) using the keyword "haunting" - as these many times turned out to be no more than dramas.In the case of The Skeptic/The Haunting of Bryan Becket I haven't made that mistake, or at least had no way to realize I have, as the film is tagged as Horror-Thriller. However, in hindsight, I can say that it really wasn't much of a Horror film. True, the oldest cheap cheat in the book was used a few times (sudden occurrence accompanied by a sudden loud bass music) making me jump involuntarily in my seat. Moreover, the entire film had this uneasy and unnerving sense to it, ever since Bryan Becket moved into that creepy old house (another overused Horror feature).However, if I've accidentally made this appear as negative criticism - I apologize. For in every way The Skeptic lacked as a generic Horror film, it excelled as a psychological thriller! The stressing piano music, the superb acting of Tim Daly (as well as Tom Arnold and Zow Saldana), the clever and original screenplay (showing a nice touch of detective story), the mystery slowly unfolding until the final breathtaking twists... All these made watching The Skeptic a better and in some ways scarier experience than watching many so-called Horror films.So no - there isn't any blood (seriously, not at all), and the ghost isn't scary looking as we've grown accustomed since the The Ring and The Grudge. No gore, no visual effects, none of the features that give most Horror films of the past decade that extra edge in scaring us. Nonetheless, The Skeptic's story is interesting, intriguing and compelling, keeping you guessing till the end.A profound psychological thriller, one of the best! Very highly recommended!

herb-924-148734 This one was interesting until the company apparently ran out of money and had to rush the ending. You knew something was wrong when the protagonist's para-normal friend couldn't make it on the fatal night. Then his shrink tells him he was locked in a closet on the day of his mother's "accident." This revelation, we are told, emerged because the protagonist was in a 'crisis stage.' Then he says I'm going to a hotel, but first I'm going back to get my things. The shrink says, good idea! Come on -- the writers are getting desperate. Then the para-normal friend's black car is parked outside. But it isn't! That defies credulity and consistency. And so -- the ending. The finale, which has been discussed, is clearly a final wish-fulfillment, the long-held wish from the five year old for the idyllic picnic he was denied so many years before. Other problems -- the doll. Why? Why not the roller-skate (or whatever it was) that propelled Mama down those stairs? And -- what was the protagonist's mental state? Did he finally/gradually go crazy? His development was not well charted. But, basically, the rushed ending defeated a promising film.

equazcion Hmmm... that should get a lot of "not helpful" votes, as all "-est of all time" comments are bound to get.Okay, too, that you say this isn't a horror film. I accept that. As far as makeup, effects, and gore go, this is on the extremely tame end of the horror spectrum, if it can even be said to fit the genre. Nevertheless, it is very scary. What do you call a really scary movie that doesn't scare you using any methods that fit the definition of "horrific", like blood etc? You got me.The true test of movie scariness, as far as I'm concerned, is how often during the viewing you feel compelled to look behind you, you know, to make sure nothing's there creeping up on you. That's it. Jumping out of your skin is of course another time-tested gauge of scariness, but movie makers now have a formula for making the audience do that whenever they want, so it's really lost most of its cache.Whatever you want to call it, this movie scared the bejesus out of me. This is a high-quality film with great acting, writing, directing, etc. The ending was also great. This movie scares you using story, subtlety, and a steady buildup that's just delicious every step of the way. Without spoiling anything, I'd just like to say that my favorite scene is when they find the doll. Tim Daly's reaction is Oscar-worthy. It's a shame this movie didn't get a proper wide release. The only thing that bothered me was that it sounded like Tom Arnold had a cold for most of his scenes. After searching the internet I've concluded that I'm the only one who noticed this.

sasha_ibz Some reviews express disappointment about the ending of this movie; I disagree. This is without a doubt a ghost story, but it also explores human emotion about traumatic events. It's not run of the mill. It was a refreshing change from the usual shock horror type movie about ghosts. I don't know why people can't understand the ending, it's quite simple, his mother wanted him to have the house so she could find forgiveness for her abuses. The sunny picnic expresses this. If you want the usual type of haunting movie then the ending would be disappointing but I think it was a very suitable conclusion for this movie, it all made sense in the end, there were no clichéd fright scenes and the ending did not have the usual shock then an attempt to procure a sequel. Just a simple reason for the haunting in the first place. I really enjoyed this movie, it's not a blockbuster, but much better than Paranormal Activity which does not come to any conclusions about why the haunting took place, I'll bet there is a sequel to that movie. The Skeptic stands on it's own as a complete work beginning, middle and end. Sweet.