Jessabelle (2014)★★★☆☆

I liked this one. It wasn’t anything spectacular, it wasn’t anything really original, and it wasn’t anything to keep me up at night, but it was really entertaining.

My first thought was “wow, what an interesting title screen.” I liked the weird music and the creepy font. The movie then opened with a bang, and was well-paced throughout. The creepy factor builds and builds until you’re at the edge of your seat wondering what’s next.

I thought it was a really interesting juxtaposition between Jessabelle’s recuperating in a creepy old house (and you all know I love creepy old houses) and her wanting to connect with a mother she never knew. Add in a little bit of Haitian folklore/superstition (my favorite!) and some good old-fashioned voodoo and you’ve got all the components for a good scary story.

I wouldn’t really call the ending a “twist”, as the movie slowly builds up to the big reveal along the way, but it works. Also, the cast was well chosen and believable, and the special effects were understated and nicely used.

My only real complaint is a silly one – I hate “The End” screens. For a movie that handled its climactic scenes incredibly well (talk about edge-of-your-seat thrills!), “The End” seemed distractingly anticlimactic. I think cutting straight to the end credits would have left a better impression and perhaps longer-lasting scares.