Lionsgate, out 22nd October digital and DVD.  

‘Welcome to Blackwood!’

With Stephenie Meyer as one of the producers on this one, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was an attempt to do for the ‘creepy old house’ sub-genre what Twilight did for vampires. But this movie is also based on a novel by the writer who gave us I Know What You Did Last Summer, Lois Duncan, so things really aren’t that clear cut at all.

In trouble again, with offences including an arson charge, troubled and mouthy teen Katherine Gordy (AnnaSophia Robb) is offered the ‘opportunity’ to attend a very exclusive and isolated boarding school, hidden deep within a forest… which would be warning enough for most people. But, at the end of their tether, her mum and stepdad agree and drive her to Blackwood.

Run by the mysterious Madame Duret (Uma Thurman, whose accent is all over the shop), the rules include handing over all mobile phones – surely the best way to cripple any Millennial? – and no access to the internet. However, Katherine and her fellow inmates… sorry, classmates decide to make the best of a bad job, especially when they’re introduced to one of the hunky teachers: Duret’s son, Jules (Noah Silver). Turns out that each of them has a talent that can be expanded: Katherine’s is music, playing the piano; Izzy (Orphan’s Isabelle Fuhrman) starts to excel at maths under the tutelage of Professor Farley (erstwhile Herr Starr from Preacher, Pip Torrens); Sierra (Rosie Day) begins to churn out works of art, and so on.

However, there’s something more sinister going on inside the old mansion itself. Strange noises and sightings down the dark halls of the title, and what exactly is up in the loft? Can it all be down to the meds the girls are given on a daily basis? And what connection does all this have with the death of Katherine’s father when she was a child? You’ll just have to watch to find out…

For the most part, Down a Dark Hall is a lot of fun with some genuine chills thrown in for good measure. The interaction of the girls is a particular highlight, especially Katherine and Veronica (Victoria Moroles) when they snipe at each other: ‘One night I’ll smother you in your sleep with a pillow.’ ‘Better bring more than a pillow!’ And Uma is suitably bonkers, backed up by her no-nonsense second-in-command Mrs Olonsky (Alan Partridge and Lewis’ Rebecca Front). It’s just a pity the set-up and intriguing middle section descends into a kind of crazy last twenty minutes, with everything chucked in – including nods to The Changeling and even The Evil Dead! All in all, though, this is a lot more entertaining than you’re probably expecting it to be.

Verdict: We’re all thrilled you’re here! 7/10   

Paul Kane

Click here to order Down a Dark Hall from Amazon.co.uk