The Ghost Writer – Frightfest Movie Review

Director: Paul Wilkins

Writer: Guy Fee, Paul Wilkins (Screenplay)

Cast

• Luke Mably (Exam)
• Andrea Deck (The Crown)
• Brendan Patricks (Downton Abbey)
• Robert Portal (Mr Turner)
• Matthew Jure (The Pugilist)

Plot: A struggling author decides to plagiarize his deceased father’s undiscovered novel, unleashing the demons of his father’s past, which he must overcome or face being haunted for the rest of his life.

Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Ghost Writer starts as struggling author Gilliger (Mably) goes to his late father Irwin’s (Portal) cottage for inspiration. As Gilliger struggles at his computer screen, he discovers some lost work from his father.

Gilliger’s peace is shattered when a mysterious woman Jane (Deck) appears at his doorstep. Wanting to help, Gilliger finds himself getting caught up in a bigger mystery, one he can’t figure out the answer to.

Verdict on The Ghost Writer

Characters

Gilliger is an author that has lived in the shadows of his father’s success. His style of the novel isn’t popular anymore, but he is determined to carry on with his ‘who dun it’ style. He returns to his father’s cottage, which sees him showing off the struggle for inspiration. As he gets the visits, he starts to question what is real and what is a message from his father’s unreleased novel.

Jane is the mysterious woman that arrives at the door. She welcomes herself into the home like they never left. Her introduction only confuses Gilliger, as she treats him like have been a couple for years now. Patrick also visits Gilliger at the cottage, he knows Jane and has a larger involvement with what is going on.

Irwin is Gilliger’s father and successful author that has passed away. We see him in the flashbacks from Gilliger’s childhood, as the truth starts to get unlocked.

Performances

Luke Mably is great as the author who has been struggling to find the success his father had, he shows the uncertainty of everything his character is going through. Andrea Deck and Brendan Patricks are strong characters who never feel like they are part of the same world.

Story

The story follows a struggling author who discovers his father’s lost story and looks to adapt it with his own name on, only to learn the truth behind the story.

Seeing the setup in the story, it is hard to not look further away than ‘Secret Window’ as it also follows an author that starts seeing a mystery unfold around him. Where he must challenge his own reality. This story does an excellent job of keeping us guessing, even if it relies on a certain type of surprise too often.

Themes

The Ghost Writer is a mystery thriller that sees the blend between desperation from an author and questioning reality. The single location of the cottage creates isolation, which is important for the writing and creation of the thriller.

Final Thoughts – The Ghost Writer is a great mystery thriller, leaving plenty to solve.