Review: 'poltergeist' Solid Remake Of Haunted House Classic

In 1982, "Poltergeist" saw the brilliant pairing of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's" low-budget horror director Tobe Hooper with far more mainstream screenwriter and producer Steven Spielberg for an effects-laden event movie that earned its place as a contemporary benchmark among supernatural thrillers. In setting the scene, Kenan and the filmmakers take their cue from the first film in the trilogy, as Eric (Sam Rockwell) and Amy (Rosemarie DeWitt) Bowen, crippled by the financial impacts of the Great Recession, look to downsize so that they can continue adequately providing for their three kids. Teenage Kendra (Saxon Sharbino) displays visible disaffection with her new situation, preferring to remain in touch with her old life and friends via phone, text and video chat. Powell agrees to assist, bringing in her staff to wire the Bowen's home with video cameras and monitoring equipment in their search for the missing child. While Hooper favored shock value and jump scares, Kenan and cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe construct far more fluid sequences as the camera glides and hovers over its subjects, reserving the most impactful shots for the climactic scenes, particularly a concluding sequence that's particularly thrilling.