The main theme of this movie is that a powerful negative force inhabits a place after someone has died a violent death, and that this negative force consumes all who touch the place in which the violent act occurred. This idea is not new, and many conjecture that what people believe are "ghosts" are in fact leftover energy from just such traumatic events. However, most American audiences want the "wronged parties" or "ghosts" to produce a moral outcome- either the punishment of the murderer(s) or the revelation of how the victims died. What most Americans don't really "get" or appreciate is this malevolent force striking out at random victims- the current occupants of the house, whoever they may be, however transient. This just spawns more innocent victims and seems pointless.
On the positive side, the technical elements of the film were excellent, the parts of the film that were supposed to be scary were indeed scary, and the roles were well acted. In fact, for you Buffy fans out there, did you notice that Sarah Michele Gellar was reunited with two BTVS alumni? Jason Behr, who played her love interest, was Billy Ford in "Lie to Me" in season two, and the American wife who was caring for her mother-in-law before she was murdered by the "ghosts" was played by the same actress who played Marcie Ross in "Out of Mind Out of Sight" from season one.
On the positive side, the technical elements of the film were excellent, the parts of the film that were supposed to be scary were indeed scary, and the roles were well acted. In fact, for you Buffy fans out there, did you notice that Sarah Michele Gellar was reunited with two BTVS alumni? Jason Behr, who played her love interest, was Billy Ford in "Lie to Me" in season two, and the American wife who was caring for her mother-in-law before she was murdered by the "ghosts" was played by the same actress who played Marcie Ross in "Out of Mind Out of Sight" from season one.