The Haunting of Helena (2013)

Let's be realistic.

Lack of good storyline.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

As the film played and the first 15 minutes unfolded, I was pretty confused and didn't know what to think. The nice opening cinematography, showing the film title turning into the space under a cupboard was pretty slick and Hollywood-like, but the lighting and music weren't... So I thought "here comes another mediocre film, average and below..." Boy, was I wrong.On one hand, many scenes and shots make you face-palm in frustration, thinking "wow... really?!". For instance, a scene where during a car crash a ghostly figure is visible at the back seat for a split second, or one where the closet creaks and opens in the middle of the night... Sounds familiar? That's because we've seen the exact scenes in at least ten other films. In addition, the music, while not half bad, simply doesn't fit the scenes... It's hard for me to explain as I'm not a musician or a film-maker, but sometimes the music was intense and suspense-like while the scene was anything but.Which brings me to my final negative criticism - Sabrina Jolie Perez as little Helena. In the passed decade, us Horror fans have had the pleasure of seeing amazing and professional child actors and actresses playing their roles perfectly (see Case 39 and Mama for example). Perez simply doesn't match that level, and her mediocrity in comparison to others is really blunt and obvious. I realize this was her first role and she was young and all, but having witnessed some amazing acting from younger actresses, I couldn't help but feeling her acting destroyed my suspense of disbelief and the overall experience of the film. Sorry... I hope to see her getting more chances to improve this impression.And so, we get to the good parts of the film, and I'd like to start by saying they don't cancel out the aforementioned criticism, but they sure do make it irrelevant. The story was absolutely incredible, almost perfect! Taking the well known Tooth Fairy urban legend and turning it into a dark tale of murder and haunting was done just the way it should have been! Christian Bisceglia has earned my utmost respect for this profound writing. The way the story is presented and how it unfolds is less impressive, and I felt it didn't do the original ideas justice, but the amazing twist, the shocking ending and the heartbreaking final scene left me in awe.While the rest of the film isn't worth more than a 5 in my opinion, the story deserves an honest 10, so I rate The Haunting of Helena 8, and say once again what I've said countless times: NEVER trust the raters and reviewers of IMDb. At the time I wrote this review the film was rated 4.7, which is no less than an outrage and travesty of justice. This is what made me rate it 8 instead of 7. A Haunting Ghost Story using barely any frightening ghost shots and jump-scares, with an excellent amazingly written story, gets rated like another poorly made torture porn? Not on my watch. Give this one a chance, you'll be pleasantly and horrifically surprised.

I read most of the reviews regarding this film, and truly expected it to suck enough that I would have to fast-forward. That is how I view most low budget "horror" films. However, I didn't fast-forward the film once. I am a huge horror fan, and though this one didn't give any real scares, it didn't bore me to tears either. The plot of the story was interesting, and I (like many other viewers) didn't see the end coming until right before it happened. I can't say the ending was great, but it was at least interesting. If you have a little time to spare, and have watched pretty much everything else that has come out recently, then give this one a shot.

There is a very arresting sequence in this film, when a young child cowers under a table as bloody teeth rain down from the ceiling. And that's about it. Stuffed full of ugly actors (the main woman with her huge facial mole could be a female Chesney Hawkes) who also aren't very good thespians, and with some very silly death scenes involving mosquitoes (?) this is a huge disappointment. The plot shows promise, but then it gets overtaken by tedium and the end result is just a waste of time. In a better film, the ending might have stood out, but here you're just glad the dross is over.And AGAIN the name change... In the UK this film is known as Fairytale. Perhaps the makers are ashamed of their efforts, and are seeking to dissociate themselves from the final product? Have these people ever heard of CREDITS?! DOH!! 4/10

Many will pass this film by simply because of the title. Every film with the title "The Haunting of..." has been a horrible embarrassment for the horror genre. The film was originally titled Fairytale and probably would have been better off keeping that title even if it's vague and just as generic. It is quite a basic and somewhat boring ghost story, so this review will be short and to the point.The Haunting of blah, blah, blah is a low budget wannabe Asian horror film. This one tries to be the definitive tooth fairy tale and thankfully isn't anything like the 2003 train wreck, Darkness Falls. It's actually a very good looking film with decent performances. Some better than others. The practical make-up effects and cinematography are excellent while everything else is quite mediocre.What really holds this dramatic horror film back is when the story just gives up on trying to keep any originality the movie might have had by just re-telling the last act of The Ring. Even though that is somewhat still better than most films in it's genre, horror fans will find themselves bored as the final act feels as if it drags on forever.