August 28, 2023
A mysterious theater’s past and present collide in this atmospheric if disappointing supernatural thriller from Wright (The Vanishing at Castle Moreau). In 1915 Wisconsin, Greta Mercy is attending a performance at the Barlowe Theater when she sees a baby fall from the balcony. Greta, whose brother recently died in the theater’s construction, is convinced the Barlowe is cursed, but later that night, a police officer informs her that the accident didn’t happen: there was no one in the box seats the baby supposedly fell from. In the present day, Kit Boyd and her best friend Madison Farrington have signed the theater up for an appearance on a popular ghost-hunting TV show, but Madison disappears during filming. As Kit is inundated with cryptic, anonymous phone calls, she teams up with the show’s skeptical cohost, Evan Fischer, to unravel the Barlowe’s spooky history and find her friend. Despite a promising premise and an appealingly creepy setting, the story fails to come together—characters go underdeveloped, the pacing lags, and asides on faith feel shoehorned in (“You trust Him, you step out in faith that others will care for you in His strength and grace,” Evan advises Kit during their quest). Despite some bright moments, this fails to deliver.
September 15, 2023
There has always been something sinister haunting the Barlowe Theater, but Kit Boyd never expected to have a role in its latest horror. Kit and her friend Madison agree to promote the historic theater and its preservation efforts on a famous ghost-hunting television show. But Madison's sudden on-camera disappearance sets off a chilling chain of events, reawakening stories of a wandering woman and boys lost within the theater walls. The ghost from more than a century ago does not want to be found. Once again, Wright (The Vanishing at Castle Moreau. 2023) outdoes herself as the preeminent expert in impactful eeriness. This tale takes on fresh frights with dizzying skill in its parallel 1915 and present-day time lines in small-town Wisconsin. Wright layers chilling local lore with the ever-present imbalance of class divisions, prejudice over mental health and poverty, and advocacy efforts addressing both. More spirituality to counter the supernatural is part of Wright's unique bend toward inspiration, and she brings an intricately resonant voice to Kit's inner struggle with loyalty and love.
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