The Canal, 2014
Writen and directed by Ivan Kavanagh
Starring Rupert Evans, Hannah Hoeskstra, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Steve Oram, Kelly Byrne, Callum Heath
SYNOPSIS:
Film archivist David has been having a rough time lately, as he suspects that his wife Alice has been cheating on him with one of her work clients. This stress is compounded when David’s work partner Claire gives him a reel of to-be-archived footage that shows that his house was the setting for a brutal murder in 1902.
This low-key Irish movie from Ivan Kavanagh manages to get a lot out so little. Its plot is beautifully simple, its executed well and it provides some really great scares. And while it’s not perfect or a genre-breaking piece, The Canal is a lot better than it looks on paper. For the most part.
The movie’s simple plot follows film archivist David, who is currently in a seemingly loveless relationship with the mother of his only child. But while following her and a co-worker, he discovers that she is having an affair and when she turns up dead in a canal, he is the number one suspect. However, David seems to think the house is haunted and the sinister happenings are what caused her death.
The Canal does nothing new with its ghost story plot but that is part of its simple charm. It keeps its cards close to its chest, uses scares sparingly and hooks the audience in as we watch David go through this journey. In many respects, The Canal is one of the better examples of a ghost story movie, especially to come out of a country other than America. It carries the same notes and flavours of The Babadook (which is also being shown at FrightFest), but the film doesn’t quite hit the mark.
It’s bizarre because Kavanagh produces some genuinly creepy moments and good scares. His shot choices can be very chilling and his use of sound will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. He never uses his scares in quick succession either so you’re constantly on the edge of your seat waiting for the next one to come. The final moments of the film are superb and easily the best parts of the film as Kavanagh pushes the boundaries of socially acceptable images with frightening visuals that will linger with you long after the credits roll.
And yet, The Canal doesn’t feel like anything special. It doesn’t hook the same way movies like The Babadook or Sinister do and that’s its biggest downfall. Rupert Evans gives a fantastic performance, but the character of David is bland and uninteresting. The movie also goes through a lull period where very little happens and the stock-scares that you’ve seen a dozen times this year alone fail to cut the mustard. If the movie didn’t have a terrific close and a few other great scenes, The Canal really wouldn’t be worth your time.
But thankfully it does have these moments which certainly means The Canal gets a recommendation. It will scare the easily squeamish and Kavanagh’s direction is first class, but you won’t find anything truly groundbreaking. It’s a lot better than some of the ghost story movies that have come out in recent years, but it also isn’t among the best.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published August 22, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
