The Keeping Hours

The Keeping Hours, released in 2017, is a heartrending supernatural drama that masterfully blends elements of love, tragedy, and horror into one strikingly vivid cinematic tapestry. Featuring star performances from Lee Pace (known for The Hobbit trilogy and Guardians of the Galaxy), Carrie Coon (Fargo and Gone Girl), and child actor Sander Thomas, this film offers both beguiling narrative intrigue and sincere performances.

Directed by Karen Moncrieff and produced by Jason Blum- known for producing successful franchises like Insidious and Paranormal Activity- The Keeping Hours provides an unforgettable exploration of grief and forgiveness. In this film, Moncrieff deviates from the typical sensationalist elements of supernatural films, and instead creates a tranquil, heartfelt story that grips the audience with its emotional intensity.

The movie kicks off by introducing Mark and Elizabeth, a committed and loving couple portrayed by Lee Pace and Carrie Coon. Intertwined within the foundation of their love is their only son Jacob, played by Sander Thomas. As ambitious lawyers who seem to have the perfect world filled with love and success, their life turns upside down due to an unexpected tragedy, causing them to drift apart.

Through their heartrending performances, Pace and Coon instantly win over the audience, offering a moving depiction of the couple’s shared grief, stunning heartache and the complicated journey towards absolution. As the story unfolds, the audience accompanies the couple in their journey through sorrow, making the film a significant one for viewers looking for a touchingly authentic depiction of loss.

Set in a stately old house that's extraordinarily beautiful yet somber, the film manipulates the backdrop effectively to amplify the perplexing happenings surrounding the characters. Mark, after many years, returns to the same house carrying vivid memories of the past, expecting to sell it off and move ahead. However, the quiet, apparently forsaken house starts to project strange manifestations. This opens up a new trajectory in the narrative that is both troubling and bewitching. While the unusual phenomena are connected to their past, it complicates the struggle of Mark and Elizabeth to escape their shared guilt and despair.

Sander Thomas, despite being a child actor, infuses remarkable depth to his character. His innocent yet nuanced portrayal adds a layer of innocence and intensifies the emotional stakes of the film. The film-makers have managed to use his character not only to portray the innocence often associated with childhood but also to explore themes of regret, loss, and longing, capturing the unsaid words and unresolved feelings of the grieving parents.

As the characters grapple with their painful past, the movie takes us on a complicated journey that examines the concepts of unfinished business, redemption, acceptance, and forgiveness in a completely new light. It artfully leverages the supernatural aspect to add a hauntingly beautiful frame to the narrative. Between silences and dialogues, between things seen and unseen, the movie stores evocative emotional energy that leads to an enriching cinematic experience.

Haunting, soulful and elegantly presented, The Keeping Hours is a rare film that concentrates on assembling a poignant narrative using paranormal elements, rather than falling back on stereotypical horror elements. With its beautiful cinematography, a harrowing music score, and sincerely heartfelt performances, it remains a film that demands your attention despite the deep emotional journey it takes you on.

With its unique exploration of grief, healing, and the paranormal, The Keeping Hours is a beautiful piece of cinema that seamlessly blends horror, drama, and a love story into an unforgettable movie, anchored by the remarkable performances of its cast. It’s a film that prompts audiences to reflect on their own experiences with love, loss and forgiveness, making it much more than a typical supernatural film.

Whether you're a fan of emotionally-rich dramas, thrilling supernatural films, or captivating love stories, The Keeping Hours will engage you with its raw, yet tender narrative. Visualize an exploration of grief navigating through a spectral realm and you've got an idea of what this extraordinary film entails. The movie is a testament to the fact that ghosts can sometimes be a bridge between the past and the present, serving to heal, rather than haunt.