The Other Side of the Door ** (2016, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto, Sofia Rosinsky, Logan Creran) – Movie Review

An American couple are in Mumbai, India, where they are initially enjoying an idyllic existence abroad. Sarah Wayne Callies stars as mum Maria and Jeremy Sisto is dad Michael. Their son Oliver (Logan Creran) is killed in a tragic accident, but the creepy Indian servant Piki (Suchitra Pillai) tells her of a ritual that will bring him back one final time to say goodbye.

Piki takes her to an ancient temple, where a door serves as a mysterious portal between two worlds and she can talk through it to the boy. But she disobeys the dire warning NEVER TO OPEN THE DOOR, and upsets the balance between life and death. And the boy comes back as a monster to terrify mum, dad and daughter Lucy (Sofia Rosinsky).

This half-decent chiller varies between tense and eerie on the one hand and daft, creaky hokum on the other, with too many staged and orchestrated jumps and too little Indian atmosphere. As it is it could be set and filmed anywhere, so missing out on India is a big missed opportunity. Although it is tense and eerie in places, it’s also irritatingly predictable and unmemorable.

Callies, Sisto and Pillai do well to keep it seeming at least sort of credible and sympathetic. And co-writer/director Johannes Roberts provides something in the way of pace and atmosphere.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3272

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