The Secret of Crickley Hall

Starred review from April 11, 2011
British horror writer Herbert (Devil in the Dark) breaks away from supernatural and SF horror to turn out a chilling classic haunted house tale. Gabe and Eve Caleigh and their two daughters need to escape their London home's association with five-year-old Cam, who disappeared almost a year ago. They move to Crickley Hall in the West Country and immediately experience supernatural goings-on, with thumping cupboards, a cellar door that won't stay shut, and odd, terrifying sounds and lights. Gabe and Eve discover that nine orphans died in a flood there during WWII, but they cannot imagine the depravity of the twisted man who ostensibly cared for the children, even as past and present rush together in a terrifying showdown. This delightfully over-the-top mood piece still finds room to explore the relationships between adults and children and the redemptive power of love.