We Are Still Here: Horror Done Right

We Are Still Here is a fantastic horror film and a great calling card for director/writer Ted Geoghegan. It is a treat for educated horror fans because it celebrates the work of director Lucio Fulci while telling a brilliant new tale of lots of death. It quickly introduces us to the “villains” while featuring one of the best slow burn endings I’ve seen in a long time. It is rare when a film gets to the action swiftly but still manages to take its time before the ending insanity (you’ll see). Any time a person won’t perform a seance because “the darkness is everywhere” you know you are in for something good.

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We Are Still Here centers around a married couple moving to rural New England after the death of their son. Anne (Barbara Crampton) has fallen into an understandable depression while Paul (Andrew Sensenig) has taken to drinking and ignoring his wife’s pleas that the house is haunted. The “very old house” used to be a funeral parlor and the family who lived in it were run out of the area after the townsfolk accused them of selling bodies instead of burying them. The threat becomes real quickly, so, Anne calls up her physic friend May (Lisa Marie) and her husband Jacob (Larry Fessenden) to come check out the house. From there, things go insane and I appreciated every second of the mayhem.

What I love most about We Are Still Here is how it uses jump scares to perfection.  I can’t remember the last time I had a smile on my face because of a well-timed evil ghost passing through the background. It was refreshing to see that a horror director actually put some thought into freaking out the audience and didn’t just throw in a random cat or sneaky family member. When done properly the jump scare can further the plot and introduce some truly terrible villains (think Insidious).

We Are Still Here adopts a retro vibe, and the 1970s setting helps build the suspense because of the lack of cell phones and modern technology. An added dose of paranoia is applied because you never know how much the townsfolk actually know about the haunted house. I like that the mystery of the house is slowly unfolded layer by layer while still not telling you everything. You will never guess where the movie is headed because it goes to crazy- bonkers town.

We Are Still Here is a fantastic throwback horror film that expertly balances blood, horror and likable characters. You will love it.