Poltergeist

Name: Poltergeist
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Released: May 22, 2015
Duration: 93 min
Rating: 47
Cast: Kennedi Clements, Kyle Catlett, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sam Rockwell, Saxon Sharbino

2015

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 260 Ratings

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3.6

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3.6	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 260 Ratings

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Poltergeist

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: May 22, 2015 | PG-13

Starring: Kennedi Clements, Kyle Catlett, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sam Rockwell, Saxon Sharbino

Summary: Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi and director Gil Kenan reimagine and contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.

Director: Gil Kenan

Genre(s): Thriller, Horror

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 93 min

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Critic Reviews

Justin Lowe

May 19, 2015

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. Read full review

Eddie Goldberger

May 22, 2015

It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but Poltergeist is a solid, surprisingly effective chiller. Read full review

Mark Olsen

May 22, 2015

The new Poltergeist is a pleasant enough diversion, better as a low-simmer suspense story than a full-blown effects extravaganza. Read full review

Jesse Hassenger

May 22, 2015

The most retro thing about the remake is its specific, outdated utility: If anyone still patronizes video stores with hard copies, and if those stores don’t happen to have the original Poltergeist (or Insidious) in stock on a Friday night, this version might do the trick. Read full review

Alan Scherstuhl

May 22, 2015

The remake grows less interesting as it goes, with final scares dipping into surprising lameness. Read full review

Randy Cordova

May 22, 2015

Ultimately, the whole affair is forgettable. The original film was promoted with the tagline "It knows what scares you." If there was a truth-in-advertising law regarding films, this movie's ad copy would read: "Poltergeist: Meh." Read full review

Clayton Dillard

May 22, 2015

It's the cinematic equivalent of a pat on the back accompanied by a slap in the face. Read full review

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User Reviews

ernie76

Jun 5, 2015

Good Remake that is close enough to the Original and less close to give some new story details.
Good actors and a dense Atmosphere. The Original is still a classic but for todays Young People ithe original is too much 80s to enjoy

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

bigtunaonfilm

May 24, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This actually impressed me quite a bit. Going in, I thought that I was getting an almost shot-for-shot remake with a few modern touches (like a flat screen TV), but what I got was a modern re-imagining of a classic that only kept the basic plot. There were some really cool effects, like the world of the undead. Watching the movie, I didn't find any technical errors, but there were probably plenty looking back. The issue to me was that what I thought would be the scariest sequences actually made me laugh, but they were still a good time. So if you are a fan of the original or the horror genre, this is a must.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Meth-dude

May 22, 2015

Well the movie was maybe not scary but one thing is sure.It is a really fun and entertaining movie.Great acting by the main characters and great visuals are what makes the movie this good.Even the kids were not that bad.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

MattBrady99

May 26, 2015

It's here... and it sucks

The story is about a contemporary reimagination of a suburban family dealing with a series of unexplained phenomena revolving around their youngest daughter. When the restless spirits get more and more violent, they call on outside help, not knowing just howIt's here... and it sucks

The story is about a contemporary reimagination of a suburban family dealing with a series of unexplained phenomena revolving around their youngest daughter. When the restless spirits get more and more violent, they call on outside help, not knowing just how dangerous things are going to get.

I still have no idea why they did a remake on Poltergeist and why Hollywood keeps making remakes in the first place. These just no point and it anyone's me that these people think they can top the original but always fail because you can't top the original unless your John Carpenter and you made The Thing then yeah good job you somehow top the original. But I also curious of how this was going to turn, I mean Hollywood must have learned from they mistakes by now by not adding any stupid CG monsters or loud jump scares. After seeing the movie I'm still not impressed.

The only good thing in this movie was Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt and Jared Harris. Those three were the only good actors in the movie and at least they tried to give a some what of a good performance, they tried they best and I can give them that. But I still have no idea why they here in the first place, maybe it's money or they got force to do it, I don't know maybe it's just the money and if that's the case these three acted they ass off to get that paycheck.

The movie itself has some creative scares or creepy moments I like to call it. When I mean some I really do mean some of the scares in the movie, which is kind of surprising that must remakes normally just suck all the way. Gil Kenan directed this movie and he's also the same guy who did Monster House and that movie itself had it's creepy moments and it also involves a possessed house and I think some of the creativity that Gil Kenan had went into this movie.

I've seen many horror remakes that are much much worse then this. At least this one tried a little hard from most remakes, because a lot of horror remakes today are just so freaking lazy and they don't put any effort at all in they movies and it just comes off as crapping on the original.

Now for the problems and these a lot to bring up: There is way way too much CGI in the movie I mean Hollywood horror movie cliche bad. These a scene in this movie where a CG squirrel jumps out the wardrobe (like a jump scare) and the way it ran around and how it looked just made me put my hands smack down on my face with pure disappointment of what I just saw. And that's not all, these other scenes where it involves CG with the demon ghost and other object's trying to kill them. People in Hollywood if you see this review (Somehow) stop making scary things into CGI crap, it's not scary it just make you look cheap. Go back to old school practical effect's with make-up and hairstyle in horror movies, at least it's actually there and it doesn't look like a crappy looking computer bug.

Every advertisement for this movie has been for the f**king clown. It doesn't really scare me anymore because everywhere I go I see a billboard advertisement and you know what's on there? this movie with the clown facing us, I mean everywhere I go I see the damn thing and it's not even creepy anymore, it's just annoying how it's everywhere and how they showing the clown too much. I mean is that the way the film makers behind this movie think that the clown is going to make me run out of my way to see this movie, thank god we got online piracy because I'm paying to this a horror remake and that clown isn't going to fool me, I watched it for free so HA. Yeah you can saw it worked as I have seen the movie and reviewing it as I speak, but let's not forget I sawed it online for FREE and didn't pay to see it, that's why it's number 4 on this week box office.

The child actors in the movie are not very good. I know it may seem a bit mean for me saying that the kids in the movie are piss poor actors but again let's not forget here that we have seen great performance from child actors in past horror movies so that proves that some children can act in horror movies, but here it seems like the producer's wanted they kids in the movie to make money and get to they children famous = more money. The little girl in the movie of course plays with the ghost demons and here's the thing in these kind of movies, what's up with these kids not once getting a bit freaked out over this I mean kids will cry or get scared over anything that's not human. The two movies that I think of that did it realistically was in The Babadook and The Conjuring were the kids got pure scared of this thing and not once played with it.

The movie overall doesn't do anything new with it's character's, it's story or anything really. I bet this remake will be forgotten at the end of the year, unless they do a squeal (which I hope doesn't happening).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

NerdConsultant

Jun 1, 2015

Is Poltergeist bad? Not incredibly, which means it’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but I would hardly call it good and it’s fairly obvious when you are watching it that you could save your money and just stay at home and watch the original. I would refrain from calling it aIs Poltergeist bad? Not incredibly, which means it’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but I would hardly call it good and it’s fairly obvious when you are watching it that you could save your money and just stay at home and watch the original. I would refrain from calling it a disastrous re-make, but I would hardly call it a good one! Everything just feels a lot like you are watching the first film, but with a lot less! What this film really needed was a better screenplay writer and a better director, because I think there was every possibility that this film could have been better. As it stands, just see the original, there is really no need to see this one. The effects are less good, the actors are less good, the plot’s less good, everything is just less good!! That just shows the futility of this film and fans of the original need not apply.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

IceShard

May 25, 2015

The whole Modernizing of the movie makes it worse. The Teenage girl is very annoying complaining all the time. The CGI was horrible. As-well I'm not sure if this even a horror movie. The 2 scariest things where this one jump scare and the CGI squirrel. This movie had no rime or reason to beThe whole Modernizing of the movie makes it worse. The Teenage girl is very annoying complaining all the time. The CGI was horrible. As-well I'm not sure if this even a horror movie. The 2 scariest things where this one jump scare and the CGI squirrel. This movie had no rime or reason to be made. Much prefer the original. It gets 1 point for Sam Rockwell, and 1 point for the fact that it looked like the tried.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Thatsliam

May 30, 2015

Honestly would have been better as a comedy and it was so meh that it was more scary when the ads started blablablablabla I'm filling space. Yoloyoloyolo hipsters bad child actors I like Pepsi yum yum budget 99cents I'm going to vomit now

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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