All aboard! Our destination? The mysterious and infamous Queen Mary ocean-liner in California, a ship with a storied history. Once a luxurious transatlantic passenger liner that saw service as a troopship during World War II, the Queen Mary is now considered a hub of paranormal sightings. Within its ornate walls, Haunting of the Queen Mary unfolds, blending real-life legend with spine-chilling fiction.
Chugging full steam ahead with a tale of two families whose destinies become interwoven across time, Haunting of the Queen Mary invites us to step onto the haunted decks of the ship. One family, headed by photographers Anne (Alice Eve) and Patrick (Joel Fry), boards in the present day, only to find themselves ensnared in a ghostly web with another family that embarked on Halloween Night in 1938. The result is a symphony of violent occurrences and spooky supernatural phenomena that’s an absolute showstopper ….visually.
Haunting of the Queen Mary is a cinematic feast, gorgeously shot with sweeping camera movements that never let you forget the close confines of the ship. The setting oozes claustrophobia with lingering shots of ornate interiors and chilling hallways. The atmosphere lures you into every nook and cranny of the ship, paying respectful homage to the famed ocean liner as we descend deeper and deeper into the haunting.
“The scare sequences […] are fresh, surprising, visceral, and plentiful.”
The production team absolutely nailed the 1938 costuming and visual aesthetics in Haunting of the Queen Mary, transporting us back in time in a way that would make even the most discerning ghost proud. The visual style is top-notch, not just 100%, but a full-blooded, heart-pounding 110%. The scare sequences, too, are fresh, surprising, visceral, and plentiful. There are supernatural frights we haven’t seen before, and the protagonists find themselves in palpable, real danger. You may want to cover your eyes, but you won’t dare – the visuals are too captivating.
But, ahoy, there’s a narrative iceberg ahead! Unfortunately, the plot is where Haunting of the Queen Mary begins to take on water. What should have been a simple braid of interwoven stories turns into a tangled mess that leaves you feeling lost at sea. The conversations are long, muddled, and often senseless, making branches of the storyline challenging and nearly impossible to follow.
Gary Shore and Stephen Oliver craft a tale in Haunting of the Queen Mary that seems intent on leading the viewer into a labyrinth without a map. You spend much of the movie feeling puzzled, only to realize, alas, the film wasn’t weaving to a penultimate denouement but was indeed prepared to close a book filled with plenty of loose ends.
And that’s the true tragedy of Haunting of the Queen Mary. It’s a sight to behold, a masterfully created visual journey that leaves you yearning for more, but it’s a ghost story that doesn’t make any sense. The ship may be filled with violent secrets, but it’s also filled with missed opportunities.
So, should you book passage on this haunted journey? If you’re a fan of visual storytelling, rich aesthetics, and innovative scare tactics, then, by all means, step aboard. But be warned: you may find yourself drifting in a sea of confusion, longing for a plot that’s as cohesive as the stunning visuals. It’s a haunting cruise filled with beauty, but one that leaves you wondering if the ship’s compass wasn’t perhaps possessed by a mischievous spirit.
“[Haunting of the Queen Mary is] a haunting cruise filled with beauty, but one that leaves you wondering if the ship’s compass wasn’t perhaps possessed by a mischievous spirit.”
All in all, Haunting of the Queen Mary is a beautiful ship with a faulty rudder, leaving you adrift in a mesmerizing yet perplexing sea of horror. It’s a lavish visual feast, but one that might leave you with a narrative hunger that’s never quite satisfied. Grab your life vest of patience and dive in if you dare.
Haunting of the Queen Mary is out now on VOD. Let us know what you thought of the film over in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord!
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