The first half is nice and watchable, but the second part of the movie was a disappointment for me. In that part many things are happening very fast and in chaos, and it just gets stupid.On top of that it is a very slow movie, predictable, and not very special in any way.

Italy, 1950s. A nurse, Verena, accepts a job at a large isolated castle, caring for a boy who has been mute since his mother died. After some time in the castle, Verena starts to think that sinister forces are at work.On the surface this seemed like a movie with potential: a haunting setting, an intriguing plot setup ...and Emilia Clarke. I prepared myself for a Hitchcockian Rebecca-like experience.Sadly, nothing of the sort materialised.The plot takes forever to develop, is wafer-thin and more about style than substance. The story relies on the intrigue surrounding the boy and the voices, and this ultimately is not much of an intrigue at all. The story moves so slowly that there is hardly any tension.The conclusion hardly makes this any clearer. Quite empty and pointless.

Not a thriller/horror/mystery as it is billed, but a beautiful, luscious Gothic.Emilia is gorgeous and talented as always and the supporting cast does a very good job with their roles.Moody, atmospheric, lush period Gothic.If you engage and make it to the end, it will leave you thoughtful - as all the best gothics do.Daphne DuMaurier and the Bronte sisters would gobble it up!

It is a little confusing. I don't think everybody who saw it understood at the first attempt. Otherwise, it would have not received such a low rating. The film failed to give the explanations in an understandable way. Only if you are good enough to figure it out everything by yourself like by observing the characteristic behaviours, dialogues and scenes that including illusion/dreams, then it can be considered a good one. So, comparing to the book it was based on, I don't know if the book complicates its readers the same way.In the opening, a mother breathes her last before taking an oath from his not to speak a word till she returns. Very unusual scene, because she died by the side of her son and nobody else present, like her husband. Then a new nurse arrives to take care of him. She was confident that she can make him talk again, but later she begins to know more about the place and the people. Unexplainable things happen. Well, the film says it all, but it's hard for us to get the details. Following, a twist comes, then everything back to normal, like nothing ever happened.All the actors were okay. I particularly watched it for Emilia Clarke. I loved the location, the atmosphere. Not a typical seaside sunny Italian place, but shot at the misty medieval house. In the beginning I thought it was like another version of 'Miracle Worker'. In the midway, I thought of 'Hidden Face'. None were right. But I only got it when I googled about it after the watch and realised there was no dream sequences at all, especially coming to the climax part. All are real, and which is a twist.Maybe it need to be watched twice, particularly after googling about what part you did not get. So it was like 'Skeleton Key' meets 'Safe Haven'. I don't want to say anything further to spoil your watch if you're yet to see it. Just watch it and make your own opinion whether you liked it or not, but try to understand it first what happens at the end. Now I've changed my rating slightly, yet the film was so old fashioned. If it had came a couple of decades ago, would have considered a best one. There are people who love such film, even today, like maybe the old guys. So it is for the selected people.5.5/10