The Frighteners (1996)

I remember seeing The Frighteners in the theater with my friend Mark Moffitt when it originally came out in 1996. I liked it a lot then and, upon a recent reviewing, still think its a very good film. It is one of those films that never clicked with the audience, for some strange reason. It should have made a lot more money than it did, but the forces of public opinion have kept this an underachieving film.

The film, helmed by Lord of the Rings and King Kong director, Peter Jackson, stars Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister, an architect turned charlatan psychic, who lives in an unfinished house, reliving the memory of his tragically killed wife. Bannister’s psychic business techniques could be called into question, but the event leading to his wife’s death left him with the real ability to see those who have passed on.

He works with these ghosts to conjure up business by generating poltergeist ability on demand. The ghosts create havoc, the people call Bannister and he “cleans” the house for a nice little sum. He uses this process to relieve Dr. Lucy Lynskey, played by the under-appreciated actress Trini Alvarado, of a couple of hundred dollars.

Bannister lives in a town that has been suffering from an epidemic of suspicious heart attack deaths. Through the course of the story, Bannister begins to see those who will be future victims because of a glowing number carved in their foreheads that only he can see. When the victim finally dies from a heart attack, they are found with that number actually sliced into their foreheads, just as he had envisioned it. Bannister tries to get to the bottom of the epidemic of deaths only to find a figure of Death behind it all. He watches in horror as Death reaches into their chest and squeezing their heart until they pass on.

Bannister’s unique information leads police to believe he is the cause of these deaths and he, along with Lynskey, work together to try and prove his innocence.

The Frighteners is an interesting mix of horror and comedy... maybe that's why it has remained undervalued... people didn't know how to respond to it. Jackson’s unique fingerprint is shown throughout the film and Fox and Alvarado are excellent in their roles. The film is scary and disturbing and humorous and a mystery all wrapped into one.

If you’re a fan of horror or of Peter Jackson, I strongly suggest checking out The Frighteners... especially around Halloween. It’ll scare you and make you laugh from beginning to end.