Things Heard & Seen

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Matthew D Amanda Seyfried carries this dreary marriage drama pretending to be a horror thriller. Directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s horror mystery thriller Things Heard & Seen (2021) is perhaps mislabeled on Netflix as it is far closer to a romance drama about a marriage falling apart at the seams. The real horror is the pain men inflict upon women by cheating or worse. I found the strong acting from this stellar ensemble cast very compelling. Amanda Seyfried in particular carries the film in a sympathetic role as a wife suspecting her husband of wrongdoing. Things Heard & Seen would be considered a great drama, but alas, it’s just a fine horror mystery. Berman and Pulcini’s direction is standard with only a few jump scares and atmospheric horror vibes. The seance works well, but the scarce ghost sightings are not very scary. The real fear comes from what the husband is out doing and how his story gets more perverse. The cheating and lying builds up tremendously. Elizabeth Brundage’s original narrative is clever. I did find the story derivative of a number of other movies like Unfaithful, Breathe In, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Amityville Horror, The Strangers, and The Shining. However, Things Heard & Seen never quite reaches those great heights of its influences. A standout visually is cinematographer Larry Smith’s camerawork, which is very striking. I love all the forestry, waters, and close-up shots that are pretty. There is a lovely Fall atmosphere. Editors Louise Ford and Andrew Mondshein have very artful cuts that are neat and surprising. Seth Coleman’s shadow filled lighting is awesome and dynamic. Costume designer April Napier provides dozens of cozy looking sweaters I loved seeing. Screenwriters Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini lean into fears within a marriage and all of that romance drama is excellent here I thought. I wish the horror was as well developed. It literally would have worked better as a marriage story drama that ends in divorce rather than the grisly horror finale. I enjoyed the last vision of Hell at least that feels right out of Dante’s Inferno or The House That Jack Built. Amanda Seyfried is amazing and compelling as the considerate mother and wife Catherine Claire. I felt sorry for her getting gaslit by her awful husband and cheated on by this sleaze. Seyfried feels so natural and gripping. James Norton is very eerie and creepy as the dirtbag art professor and unfaithful husband George Claire. He gets colder, meaner, and angier as George is caught up in his own lies and misdeeds. He’s so unhinged in a shocking way. Ana Sophia Heger is cute as their little daughter Franny Claire, who is scared of the ghosts. Natalia Dyer is excellent as the local horse girl Willis Howell, who gives into temptations and loathes herself for it. Alex Neustaedter is wonderful as the kind carpenter Eddie Vayle, who comforts Catherine in her time of need. Rhea Seehorn is fantastic as the perceptive teacher Justine Sokolov, who is very sweet and friendly with Seyfried. Michael O'Keefe is good as the stern Sheriff Travis Laughton. Karen Allen is nice as the honest Mare Laughton. Jack Gore is good as Eddie’s attentive brother Cole Vayle, who babysits Franny for the Claires. F. Murray Abraham is great as the observant professor Floyd DeBeers, who loves to sail and experience the occult. His scenes all have warmth and tension thanks to Abraham. James Urbaniak is nice as the friendly stoner author Bram Sokolov. Emily Dorsch is good as the spectral spirit of Ella Vayle. In all, Amanda Seyfried and the gripping acting of this impressive ensemble elevate a routine horror mystery into a compelling drama at the very least. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/27/25 Full Review David W This movie was written by my butt using Morse code. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 04/17/25 Full Review Jason W A little husband and wife conflict, mixed with the ghosts of former house owners. It's marital drama of lies and cheating, meets Amityville. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/25 Full Review Lucas Gabriel M Filme de desenvoltura lenta, um pesadelo para quem é viciado em redes sociais e consumo abusivo de informações. O cenário do filme em si é bem previsível: uma casa velha, uma tragédia, um casal com problemas, espíritos e muitas lâmpadas ameaçando queimar. Mas o modo como as coisas são abordadas é a chave para curtir a proposta. Gosto da Atuação da Amanda Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/25/25 Full Review Sarah L Worst Horror Movie I Have Ever Seen. If I could rate this -5/5 stars, I would. Two hours of my life that I’m never getting back. Story was so bad. Like someone had hit a writers block and just randomly picked words from a dictionary to piece together without understanding the full context of them. There was no thrill, no anxiety inducing aspects. I couldn’t feel any sort of empathy for any character. Nothing about this movie was good. Ending was extremely unsatisfying. Do yourself a favor and don’t bother wasting time on this “horror movie” Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/08/25 Full Review Jon D The movie has a very slow pace, taking its time to build up for the climax. Its different to other horror movies in that way and I appreciate the setting Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Things Heard & Seen

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