umimelectric
Dark and confusing story dives into the multidimensional territory of time loops; peppered with a bit of Fight Club & a dash of Taxi Driver. Don't let the title fool you, certainly not horror.I had never heard of this film before and it was rated average-like so I watched it at home & I can't say it was time wasted (I like movies) but I can't sing its praises either. At one point midway through I was so bored that I did consider turning it off but I knew the ending had something in store that, even if not amazing, I felt I should stay on for.The ending will disorient viewers, including myself, and it's quite good. Unfortunately for the ending, the bulk of the rest of the story leading up to it borders on slow torture. A lot of films are great until the final act ruins them; this one is the opposite, with a climax that would have done better attached to a different project.A for effort. 4/10 for my tastes.
bmco-247-721025
Researching this film before watching it, unfortunately convinced me it would be worthwhile, however, it's clear now that I was taken in by IMDb reviews that were planted to give the movie an overall favorable rating. My instinct after the first 15 minutes was to turn it off, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt since many British independent films do tend to start slow and build to a thoughtful and meaningful result. Without giving anything away, do yourself a favor and look up the definition for a Mobius strip and then imagine a very abstract story revolving around that meaning with a multitude of loose ends that are never explained and you'll have saved yourself nearly an hour and a half of boredom and frustration.
chris-77887
The Ghoul is not a horror. It's a highly engaging thriller, I saw at a Q&A screening in London. The story is in some ways reminiscent of Memento and Fight Club, but is completely it's own and highly original.It's about the inner psyche of a paranoid unemployed amateur detective in London who's trying to figure out his own life and his increasingly mysterious hallucinations. When he begins spying on his therapist, he meets another patient, who appears to have severe delusions, and he becomes convinced the therapist is embroiled in an elaborate conspiracy against him.Brilliantly written script, brings into the psyche of the main character while keeping you on the edge of your seat right up until the end. With some really incredible acting, The Ghoul is a highly engaging and satisfying film, despite the incredibly tiny budget it was clearly shot on. Brilliant and thought provoking.
hipCRANK
Best pay close attention here, as not all is as it seems.Twisty movies can be god fun, but as is the case with "The Ghoul", they can be quite unsettling. What starts out as a standard police drama slowly melts into an endless, dark, psychological journey, where everything is gradually turned upside down.Not an easy watch, this: a dreamy, hallucinatory, moebius strip thriller with an agonizing performance from the spiralling lead (the excellent Tom Meeton). Filmed in dark, bleak confines, "The Ghoul" works, not inspite of it's micro budget, but because of it - relying on claustrophobic interaction from the players.Fans of linear cinema need not apply, but those wishing for a jarring, thought-provoking experience will be rewarded.
AD
