A classic romantic ghost story based on the novel by James Herbert about the sceptical young professor David Ash (Aidan Quinn) haunted by his past, and takes up an opportunity to visit a supposedly haunted house where he finds he has to confront his darkest fears.
At the house, the Professor falls in love with the alluring Christina (Kate Beckinsale), finds a rival for her charms in the form of her brother Robert (Anthony Andrews), and tries to cure her disturbed nanny (Anna Massey) with the help of a local doctor (Sir John Gielgud).
Directed by Lewis Gilbert, Haunted is at times a suspenseful and suitably atmospheric film, with enough things going bump in the night to keep you engrossed. Indeed, there's one moment in the film which even made half of the preview critics jump (and believe me, it takes some doing to make that happen!). Overall, the film seems like one of those '70s horror thrillers, full of creaking doors, mysterious characters, and weird goings-on all over the house. Tighter editing would've made the film slightly more effective with the loss of say 20-25 minutes, but the film is still quite enjoyable There are also a few decent plot surprises towards the end.
--London Calling film review, October 1995
