I did not have much expectations about this movie, because my experience is that ghost stories set in modern urban settings, very seldom meet up to the standards of classic ghost stories set in old castles or manors and the like. But it turned out to be surprisingly good, if one takes it for what it is.The photo was bleak and the environments were depressing, but this was of course part of the story. You can also see it as a statement of the awful conditions many poor kids grow up in - even in our rich, civilized western countries. It was a little difficult to follow the plot, as one often did not know what was real, what was supernatural events (ghosts, premonitions, telepathy etc.), what was dreams or hallucinations etc.. But of course - that was also part of the story.The mystery in itself is engaging and exciting, and the solution to it is quite unexpected but still not contrived. Well worth watching!

Quite enjoyed this great Brit film. Although there are Horror elements, I did not find them to be scary or creepy enough for my high standards of Horror definition. That said, there are definitely some moments that are a bit creepy but there is so much more going on in this film than silly "BOO!" moments. A refreshing storyline that explores much more than shown simply in the trailer (missing, possible dead child), there are instances of bullying, single-parent family dynamics, the question of faith, the depravity and sadness of those in mental institutions, possible mental illness...this film has a bit of it all. You will be questioning different people and situations throughout the film which I find particularly engaging and enticing in Thrillers that we do not always get to see. Watching it a second time is recommended...sometimes we miss certain important elements. The backdrop of the film's location reminded me of industrial Manchester and the people live in the area (common amongst London or other urban suburbs). The ending was not quite what I expected, but that is neither good nor bad. I can't say much more without revealing "spoilers"...Definitely worth watching.

A gritty council estate drama about a missing kid, with the usual run of domestic violence, hoodie gangs, street crime, beatings, social workers and creepy adults. It's down to earth and realistic, eliciting decent performances from its mostly teenage cast; Harry Treadaway is particularly good as the boy grieving for his lost brother. Unfortunately, though, this story is very familiar (URBAN GHOST STORY is just one of the many others I remember doing the same kind of thing), and it doesn't have a great deal to differentiate it from the rest.It's gently haunting for the most part, with the ghost story taking the form of snatched visions, unexplained domestic events and a general feeling of suspense and foreboding. The sub-plot involving a medium and her young girl was very well done, I thought, and the twist ending is undeniably powerful (if very familiar, considering all the other films ploughing the same furrow). Cast nods go to Tom Felton (Harry Potter's Malfoy) playing a refreshingly non-magical teen for once, Ros Leeming as the poignant love interest and Alex Jennings (who some may remember from Children's BBC's ALFONSO BONZO) as a kindly vicar.

I was pleasantly surprised at the overall quality of this indie effort. From the opening scene the tension in the father/son relationship is palpable and they maintain the intensity w/o too much dialog to rely on. Kudos to both actors for very strong performances. The look and feel of this movie are spot on and the score is also an asset. The editing was a bit choppy and the film did seem to drag a little but there were no scenes that felt like they should have been left on the cutting room floor. I was confused at times and that added to the feeling that I just wanted them to get on with it, so to speak. Where the effort falls short is in the ending. It does build to a point and then the writing fails the actors. The last 20 minutes are cliché ridden and lack any originality. Come on, the pedophile who isn't who he says he is and oh yeah, by the way, he also happens to wear his collar backwards? The communications with dead people cross a line that Sixth Sense never did. We watch as the murderer has his head bashed in (4 violent blows) with a rather large stone and he disappears before the police arrive. It feels like they tried to address all the misdirections and somehow made things more confusing. I must say that the ending left a very bad taste in my mouth. This is sad mostly because of the very solid effort that preceded it. The writers and production staff deserve high marks for making a film that came so very close to being something special but in the end(literally) fell short. One final comment about the cast. What made this movie good were the performances from top to bottom. They all deserve praise and applause fr their efforts.