Mr. Movie: Ghosts and a psychopath — what’s not to love?

Things Heard & Seen

Ghost story movies these days all look pretty much the same. Once in awhile one comes along that moves the needle a bit. “Things Heard & Seen” gives it a push. Writers and directors, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini plunk a psychopath and a family into a house full of ghosts in a village in New York.

Duplicity dots the plot’s landscape.

James Norton (“Little Women”) plays George Claire. His wife, Catherine, is done by Amanda Seyfried who was recently nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her supporting performance in “Mank.”

They got married because Catherine was pregnant. Catherine is an artist whose talents are stifled in the small town. He’s a college professor with a very bright future. She’s bored. He’s rocking.

Catherine and her daughter see ghosts and experience ghostly doings. His boss — done nicely by F. Murray Abraham — is a fan of a philosopher who believes in ghosts and their influence on this world.

That connects him with Catherine.

From there, Berman and Pulcini weave real world happenings with that of ghosts. It works very, very well. The acting is quite good but it is Norton who gives the standout performance. From the outside George looks deep and interesting. On the inside, he’s shallow and scary.

Best of all Norton’s villainy slowly evolves. It’s great work that allows Seyfried and the other actors to easily dance around his focused performance.

As they proved with 2004’s “American Splendor” and “The Nanny Diaries,” Berman and Pulcini are excellent storytellers. Unlike most ghost story directors and writers, they hold back and don’t overdo the ghosts. It’s done subtly. That — and the actions of George — add tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Good stuff.

The film’s troubles come in the third act and the story’s conclusion. “Things Heard & Seen” is based on Elizabeth Brundage’s novel, “All Things Cease to Appear.” The two writer/directors seem to have no idea how to do the ending of her book.

That’s puzzling.

Most of us like to be left thinking when it comes to the end of a movie, and having to puzzle out in my mind what might or might not be in the future for this character or that. However, in the case of a film like “Things Heard & Seen,” we want and need more. The why of George’s actions at the climax, and that of the other characters needs a better explanation.

Fix the ending, and it’s one of the best horror films you’ve seen in a long time. However, and negatives aside, the movie is very, very good and it’s worth a couple hours of your time.

▪ Rated TV-MA for mature themes, language and brief nudity. You can stream the movie on Netflix.

▪ Rating: 4 out of 5

Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse

All this movie has in common with Tom Clancy’s 1993 novel is the title, the name of the main character and a few other characters. If Clancy was alive, he wouldn’t be close to as livid about the plot changes as he would the fact that his name is on something this incoherent.

His estate ought not have optioned the book. Or if Clancy did the optioning before he died, and upon seeing this, his heirs should be as upset as the man himself.

The movie is also packed with superb acting talent. They, too, deserve a better telling.

Michael B. Jordan (the “Creed” series, “Black Panther”) stars as John Kelly. He’s a Navy SEAL and gets crossways with a CIA agent on a mission to rescue a U.S. diplomat in Syria. Months later, he and others in his unit are targeted. Some are killed. His pregnant wife, Pam dies in the attack on him.

He survives, learns the attackers are Russian operatives. Kelly wants revenge. At the center of the conflict is the CIA agent. Is the guy on the take? Did he instigate the double-cross? That’s what you’re supposed to wonder.

My advice? Don’t.

Director Stefano Sollima did the second Sicario movie, “Day of the Soldado,” and one of his writers, Taylor Sheridan wrote both Sicario films, and helped create and wrote a bunch of episodes on the popular TV series, “Yellowstone.” The other writer, Will Staples wrote one TV episode for “The Right Stuff” and has written a couple of video game plots.

What all this gives you is a movie that has more in common with a bad video game plot than a good feature film. Thirty minutes into “Without Remorse,” you not only have buyer’s remorse, but you’re wondering why you’re wondering who did what to who, and why they did what they did.

This movie is that bad.

▪ Rated R for extreme violence and language. You can stream this one on Amazon Prime.

▪ Rating: 2 out of 5

This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 12:10 AM with the headline "Mr. Movie: Ghosts and a psychopath — what’s not to love?."