Rish Outfield's reviews
Back in the gestation days of this site, Haunted was one of the films we watched to create our list of Skull Categories. Tyranist absolutely loved it, and never failed to try to cajole me into renting it again at every turn (why did he not just buy it, you ask?), and I resisted, as I often do, just to spite him. Last time we saw each other, we did the 'you-pick-one, then-I-pick-one' game, and he predictably scooped it up. When we finally watched it again, I found out (not for the first time) that I was the foolish one, and he was the wise one.
Haunted is a beautiful film. It works on a couple of nice levels, with a dream-like quality to its story and cinematography, and moving drama that is helped by the period setting. There were a couple of mediocre special effects toward the end, but I liked the movie so much by then that I did not/do not care. Aidan Quinn plays the Everyman here (and I wouldn't mind seeing him play the character of David Ash again as novelist James Herbert apparently wrote a series of them), and well. But it was Kate Beckinsale that I remembered from the first time, and will remember now. Beckinsale, who I would fall in love with again in Pearl Harbor years later, was almost too beautiful, too elegant, to describe. The movie wasn't just her, though, it was a well-crafted tale of surprise and real scares (just ask tyranist how girlish my screams were), good performances and lovely countryside that made me want to expatriate to the UK. I really enjoyed the ending, quite a nice surprise, even though we knew it was coming this time. I might have to say that, due to this second viewing, I may end up buying a copy of Haunted before tyranist does.

The tyranist's thoughts
I'm very fond of well-written ghost stories (of which there are really very few) and so when Rish lent me a novel by an author I had never heard of the fact that it was one of, if not the, finest ghost stories I had ever read stuck with me. A couple years later when Rish and I rented Haunted I vaguely wondered if it was based on that fantastic novel. By half-way through the movie, I was pretty sure, but not convinced. It wasn't until very close to the end that I was absolutely sure they were the same story.
I realize that sounds like a condemnation, but the truth is that it is a strength of the movie. You see, this has a twist ending that is hidden so well in both the novel and movie that it works in ways beyond the average horror story. This very faithful adaptation managed to capture the same suspense from the novel so well, that I was taken in all over again.
Aidan Quinn plays David Ash, a skeptical, parapsychological investigator who has disproved many supernatural hoaxes. When he gets a special invite to visit a haunted manor, he somehow can't refuse. Haunted as much by his past as by any ghost, he endeavors to prove to the denizens of the manor that there is no ghost. But even he can't explain some of the odd goings-on.
Specifically because of this movie I developed a fondness for Aidan Quinn and fell a little in love with Kate Beckinsale. There is a lightness to the movie that is delightfully spoiled at moments and that crosses to darkness as the movie gets deeper. Really the only weakness I can think of is that the movie's ending lacks some of the bleakness that made the novel as good as it was.
See this movie. Please. I had to beg Rish a thousand times to watch it with me again and I'll beg you too if I have to.