It's been an open question as to whether anyone would make a concerted attempt to adapt any of Dennis Wheatley's stories into a more contemporary style of film. This adaptation of "The Haunting Of Toby Jugg" doesn't really answer that question. The occult cant of the original is replaced with a psychological leaning, but this doesn't much matter as the adaptation is, frankly, clumsy, obvious, and heavy-handed. There is not one ounce of subtlety anywhere to be found in the piece -- whether it's the protagonist's memories of bomber runs, or the blue-grey tone slathered all over the photography, or the hallucinations of the PTSD-afflicted Toby Jugg.
I suppose this is in keeping with Dennis Wheatley's own work and philosophy, however, as Wheatley didn't consider himself any sort of stylist and his books are notably light on quality and long on gung-ho plot, with dialogue redolent with cliché and childishness at times.
I suppose this is in keeping with Dennis Wheatley's own work and philosophy, however, as Wheatley didn't consider himself any sort of stylist and his books are notably light on quality and long on gung-ho plot, with dialogue redolent with cliché and childishness at times.