Starring Andy Nyman, Paul Whitehouse, Alex Lawther, Martin Freeman, Jill Halfpenny

Directed by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson

Lionsgate, out April 6

When paranormal investigator Professor Phillip Goodman gets the chance to meet one of his heroes, he gets drawn into the case files of three terrifying incidents.

It was somewhat inevitable that a film would be eventually be made of Andy Nyman and Jeremy (The League of Gentlemen) Dyson’s hit play, its intimate setting and low budget being attractive for a modest British horror flick. What we get here is a very faithful adaptation by the co-writers and co-directors, a portmanteau movie weaving three tales into a wraparound story, heavily influenced by the output of similar 1970s Amicus features like Asylum and From Beyond the Grave.

Nyman is very good as the glue holding everything together, his presence being unfamiliar to many viewers. Doggedly sceptical about all things supernatural, he starts to question the sanity of both those he’s interviewing and himself. Each tale, told in flashback, features a familiar trope – Paul Whitehouse is a night watchman in an abandoned asylum, Alex Lawther is in a broken down car in the woods and Martin Freeman home alone with an evil presence in the shadows.

There’s a number of jump scares at opportune moments, and the tension mounts as each of the tales hits its climactic revelation. But there’s more to this than meets the eyes, and it’s no coincidence that Nyman regularly works with Derren Brown on his live stage shows. Everything you see is there for a reason, so be on the lookout for clues or anomalies and you might end up being one step ahead of the Professor. You really don’t want to know any more than this, so steer clear of spoiler discussion.

Verdict: Clever and creepy, this is a welcome alternative to standard formulaic horror fare. Twisty and twisted, just remember that the brain sees what it wants to see. 9/10

Nick Joy