One of the key components of a haunting story is being able to differentiate between a coincidence and a supernatural occurrence. The former is harmless and what most people safely assume is the cause of the majority of accidents; however there is a small percentage that may be traced to a more malevolent force whose source may never be known. In Farhope Tower, a group of paranormal investigators set out to explore an abandoned building with a sordid history.
The career prospects for ghost hunters are grim in more ways than one. So when Jake (John White) receives a phone call about a potential TV series featuring his team, he knows this is probably their last and only chance at finally turning their hobby into a profession. Therefore he accepts the producer’s condition that the pilot episode must be shot in Farhope Tower, in spite of the many dangers that structure presents and his own promise never to return to the haunted building. Closed decades earlier, the apartment was the site of dozens of suicides that occurred over the span of only four months. Arriving during the day, some minor phenomenon catches the attention of the investigators’ equipment. But once night falls, the tower begins to reveal its truly sinister nature.
Even though director April Mullen has structured the movie as a found-footage reality show gone wrong, most of the film is traditionally shot with the occasional first-person perspective spliced in between. It seems one of the pitfalls of this method is an in-story camera crew who appear incompetent and rarely capture first-hand accounts of the supernatural occurrences that is their bread-and-butter, relying instead on inadequate descriptions of the events after they’ve happened. This is a relatively minor oversight in the narrative, but its frequency does become annoying over time in terms of the credibility of their characters.
The development of the haunted house story is actually quite effective. It begins small with cold spots, loud sounds and unexplained voices. The motley crew of investigators are excited by the possibility of proving the lore true, never considering they are outmatched. The severity of the phenomenon escalates, though the group doesn’t recognize it for what it is at first. The inevitable separation of the team has dire consequences and the longer they remain in the building, the lower their odds get of ever leaving together. There is very little character development so the audience isn’t really invested in the fates of the individuals featured. However, the expansion of the plot is interesting enough to keep viewers engaged in the story. Mullen has continued to improve as a filmmaker since her first feature in 2007 and it would not be false to describe this picture as probably her best to date.
The film is the opening night selection at the 2015 Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival in Toronto.
Director: April Mullen
Starring: John White, April Mullen and Evan Williams
