‘Things Heard And Seen’ Review

_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

Things Heard And Seen is a really interesting ghost story, centered around a couple, George (James Norton) and Catherine Claire (Amanda Seyfried) who end up moving to a small town because of George’s new job. Catherine stays at home with her daughter Franny, as her husband goes off to work. There are issues that are shown between the couple early on in the film, which makes for a very dramatic watch as the film goes on. We notice that the connection Catherine has to the house and the spirit within it is more than just your typical ghost story.

The first half of this film will definitely get you invested in this couple. We see that Catherine is struggling with an eating disorder and she feels like she is trapped in this life that she is in. Catherine feels like she doesn’t belong for some reason and George just continues to move forward without her, not caring about her at all. We see this in the move to a small town because he got a job offer, or did he? The mystery truly lies with George because of James Norton’s great performance. It is very layered and as the film goes on, we see a different side of him. We find out who he truly is before Catherine does.

What I really enjoyed about the first half of this film, was the exploration of the afterlife and of certain spirits merging with the living. There can be good spirits that latch onto good people and evil spirits that latch onto bad energy. Instead of just focusing on the evil spirits in the house, the focus is on a female spirit who lived her life in fear because of her husband. The spirit latches onto Catherine because she is going through her own nightmare with her husband. George was dishonest from the beginning and the marital issues get pushed to the forefront in the second half of this film.

It had a unique story, interesting framing and great performances but as they wrapped up this ghost story, it felt incredibly rushed. It didn’t feel like a rewarding ending, even though the symbolism at the end with the paintings, made it very clear who the spirits latched onto. It had a strong first half but lost its way in the second. If you enjoy supernatural thrillers, then it is still an enjoyable watch. The drama between husband and wife will keep you engaged until the very end, Seyfried is fantastic in this!