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Lovely Molly

5/10

Stars: Gretchen Lodge, Alexandra Holden, Johnny Lewis, Ken Arnold, Field Blauvelt

Director: Eduardo Sanchez

Young bride, left along in a haunted house, goes mad, ending up a bloodsoaked killer. Young girls have been going mad in spooky old houses for 50 years or more in movies, and doubtless they'll be with us for another 50. This is a partially 'found footage' narrative (Sanchez co-directed The Blair Witch Project), as Molly (Lodge), mentally fragile and with a history of drugs, psychiatric treatment and parental abuse, moves in to the old family mansion with her new husband Tim (Lewis).

Things quickly start going bump in the night - strangely, Tim hears the first set - and, with Tim always away on business, Molly is soon possessed by what she perceives as the evil spirit of her abusive father.

Rather than refer Molly to a psychiatrist, her sister (Holden) and husband call in the local pastor (Blauvelt), whom a possessed Molly later seduces. This is obviously not going to end well, and indeed it doesn't, although the director should have avoided a silly coda in which the sister returns to the now-empty house only to be possessed herself.

For what it's worth, Lodge gives her all to the role; other performances are adequate. Just remind me not to say 'Hello?' from the top of the stairs next time I hear a burglar down below. All movie characters do it, and it just isn't a sensible idea. (NB: there is no copyright date on this film)

David Quinlan

USA 2011. UK Distributor: Metrodome. Colour (unspecified).
99 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 18.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 2, Violence/Horror 3, Drugs 2, Swearing 2.

Review date: 25 Jun 2012