Youve probably seen dozens of gothic thrillers like Lenny AbrahamsonsThe Little Strangerbefore.
Once the wee-hour staples of late-night TV, theyre like the mothball-scented ghosts of horror movies past.
Even the great Guillermo del Toro couldnt quite get the formula right with2015sCrimson Peak.
Credit: Nicole Dove/Focus Features
Only a few interesting performances occasionally jolt it back to life.
Its a chiller thats far too stingy with its chills.
The place has less than idyllic memories for him.
But times have changed now.
Hundreds Hall is a crumbling ghost of its former self.
And so are its inhabitants.
Still, something keeps pulling him back beyond professionalism.
Its as if, to him, the place never lost its luster.
But the title more or less answers that question.
Theres no denying that Abrahamsons film has atmosphere to burn.
Its more or less room temperature from beginning to end.C+
