The Haunting at Saint Joseph's (2023) User Reviews

Wow. Just wow...

[paul_haakonsen · 2/10 · 22 September 2023]

I have to admit that I was initially lured into watching the 2023 horror movie "The Haunting at Saint Joseph's" given the somewhat interesting cover/poster that the movie had. Sure, I had never even heard about the movie, prior to sitting down to watch it, so I had no clue as to what I was in for here.

And talk about a swing and a miss of a script and storyline from writer and director Jon Cohen. The storyline and narrative in "The Haunting at Saint Joseph's" utterly failed to capture my interest, and the pacing of the narrative was just insanely bland and mundane. And to make matters even worse and all the more unbearable, then there was nothing interesting happening throughout the slow paced narrative.

I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. And that is usually something I enjoy when I sit down to watch a movie, as I don't accidentally associate the actors and actresses with previously portrayed characters in other movies. But the actors and actresses in "The Haunting at Saint Joseph's" never stood a snowball's chance in Hell here, because they virtually were given nothing worthwhile to work with in terms of script, characters or dialogue.

As for "The Haunting at Saint Joseph's" being a horror movie, well... That might be stretching it a bit. But then again, what some consider horror, I might just consider thriller. But this 2023 movie from writer and director Jon Cohen certainly was no horror movie to me, but then again I have been watching horror movies ever since I was about 8 years old.

This movie is not really worth the effort, and it is most certainly not a movie that I would recommend you to waste your time, money or effort on. Some of us suffered through this, so you don't have to.

My rating of writer and director Jon Cohen's 2023 movie "The Haunting at Saint Joseph's" lands on a two out of ten stars.

WORST MOVIE!

[denniscanesohi · 2/10 · 7 April 2024]

Do not watch this movie if youre expecting like paranormal horror like movie. I just watched this yesterday on cinema and really not good. The movie is low budget and the story of the girl and 2 nuns is not really connected to the plot. Over all the movie is not good. And about the ending is not good either. This movie is just like a group school project. The ending dont even have a good plot twist and to all gonna watch this movie.. Pls dont! I recommend just watch other movie just like the first omen and the new godzilla. Its just the movie is low on acting, low on editing, and low on budget.

I don't like the story

[Alien901 · 2/10 · 21 September 2023]

The strength of this plot lies in its ability to build suspense and psychological tension. The characters' descent into madness is portrayed with eerie precision, and the viewer is kept guessing whether the hauntings are real or a manifestation of their frayed nerves. The Muslim doctor's faith adds an interesting dimension to the story as she grapples with her beliefs while confronting the inexplicable.

"A Haunting Holiday" presents an engaging narrative, but it could benefit from addressing certain objections regarding the respectful portrayal of Islamic lifestyle while traveling or partying with a group of people:

1. **Cultural Sensitivity**: It's crucial to ensure that the Muslim characters' lifestyle and values are depicted with cultural sensitivity. The plot should emphasize the importance of respecting Islamic customs, such as prayer times and dietary restrictions, even while on vacation.

2. **Inclusive Representation**: The story should strive for an inclusive representation of different faiths and backgrounds within the group of friends. This can lead to meaningful discussions and exchanges of perspectives on religious and cultural differences.

3. **Respect for Modesty**: When portraying the engaged Muslim doctor and her fiancé, it's important to depict them in a manner that respects their modesty and adherence to Islamic dress codes, especially in a setting where partying or swimming might be involved.

4. **Balancing Tradition and Fun**: The plot could explore how the characters reconcile their faith and traditions with the desire to have fun and relax on holiday. This can create opportunities for character development and nuanced storytelling.

5. **Addressing Prejudice**: If the plot includes instances of prejudice or misunderstanding directed towards the Muslim characters, it should also highlight the importance of addressing and countering these biases in a constructive manner.

6. **Positive Role Models**: Ensure that the Muslim doctor is portrayed as a strong, intelligent, and independent character who serves as a positive role model for viewers. Her faith can be a source of strength and wisdom in dealing with the haunting and emotional challenges.

Sorry, but no. Avoid.

[HorrorFilmHellion · 1/10 · 21 September 2023]

Hoping for a low budget wicked Aussie gem here, but this was definitely not it. Unconvincing muddled characters and interactions make this a chore to get through. The dialogue is boring, and completely void of a story or plot. Overly dramatic scores were used to make up tension, when none is present on screen. After 65 minutes of tedious suffering I called it quits. Nothing was offered up to hold interest, scares, or any entertainment value at all, really. Much better offerings out there if you are scraping the low budget or cheap thrills bin. Skip over this one unless you want to use it as a sleep aid.

MOVIE FAIL WITH NO REAL HAUNTING

[movieguy3000 · 1/10 · 23 September 2023]

A film following a Muslim doctor for no reason apart from trying to be diverse? Who goes on a trip with a bunch of friends including her fiancée. They go to a ghost tour for a pre-wedding getaway and pull immature pranks. Nothing really happens, there's no real story, none of the actors can really act especially Tara jay - I'm sorry but it's just overacting and terrible character, obnoxious and irritating. This is Jon's 4th or 5th film and instead of getting better, the films are getting worse. Overall bad cringy dialogue, bad actors, bad story, bad lighting for a horror film is a failure, NOT scary, there's NO HAUNTING despite the title - it's trying to be clever and be a psychological haunting. The best part of the film is the flashback to the hanged girl - right at the start of the film. The second thing is the actress with the curly hair has something unique her name is Elke Hinrichsen something spunky, there's potential there. Sorry for the honest review, there's not much here to enjoy. The Location is spectacular.

A Great Horror Movie

[ramsayphotographywa · 10/10 · 24 September 2023]

This is a well made horror movie that was a complete surprise. I found the film on YouTube and was completely blown away. The direction and camera work are excellent, as is the pacing and editing. I was not expecting too much being on YouTube, however, I found this film's premise and plot to be well crafted and cleverly executed. The director has utilised his cast to to his full advantage and they have delivered sound performances. This film is a true example of how the Australian Horror genre has grown in recent years and this filmmaker is someone to watch in the future. A highly enjoyable and thrilling experience. A must see!!!

An overall likable if somewhat flawed effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 18 October 2023]

Trying to forget their work issues, the staff of a local hospital takes a trip for a bachelor party at a closed-down hospital turned into a tourist resort that's said to be haunted, but when they realize it's actually haunted by a person sacrificed hundreds of years earlier must try to get away alive.

This was a generally enjoyable and likable effort. One of the finer aspects here is the fine setup at a place that manages to introduce some solid enough storylines for this one. The initial backstory of the innocent victim initially killed at the site and the resulting haunted nature of everything makes for a highly enjoyable setup as it coincides nicely with their trip to the location for the bachelor party shenanigans. This all manages to bring the group together and get to know them a little bit more before everything starts happening with the strong series of visions and hallucinations that are shown here which all provides a fun enough starting point for everything. That allows the film to have a rather fun series of haunting scenes throughout here. The first scenes of the figure appearing around the darkened hallways and corridors of the abandoned hospital at the very beginning start this rather nicely, much like the prank that serves as a starting point to the distrust that runs throughout the rest of the film. The confrontations and violence that arise following this point are quite fun as this brings about a series of enjoyable and brutal interactions as they try to stop those around them from how unnatural they've been acting which puts everything into a great touch with some shocking brutality that all combined gives the film a lot to like. There are some issues with this one that hold it back. Among the biggest drawbacks here is the incredibly dull and generally frustrating middle section where the majority of the film's antics are strewn over interpersonal strife within the group. The idea of being upset over the engagement and all that is perfectly fine but the whole concept of thinking it's scary to have arguments over the belief that a character is lying without proof or engaging in illicit relationships is just not that interesting. Hardly anything that takes place here for the entire middle section of this one as it just plods along meandering through this section with barely any life to it. The other big issue here is the underwhelming and generally troublesome finale where it has some problematic factors involved. The series of twists involved in what's going on here doesn't make any sense as the rationale spewed here to try to provide context for the situation is inherently faulty and really has some logical factors at play. It's all done at the expense of the supernatural antics from the spirit who serves as the launching point for the explanations of everything but that twist ends up removing it as a source of the incidents so it comes off as a complete cheat at the end. These factors are pretty much the big factors holding it back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

Great low budget flick

[gmjrcsn · 9/10 · 14 November 2023]

This Aussie flick delivers a gritty, authentic experience on a shoestring budget. Despite limited resources, the film's raw cinematography captures characters emotions. The plot, centered around a group of friends navigating challenges, is engaging. The genuine camaraderie among the cast shines through. The film's charm lies in its simplicity, offering a refreshing departure from high-budget blockbusters. The haunting at Saint Joseph's is a commendable effort, showcasing the resilience of Australian independent cinema. I wasn't really familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, and I enjoyed it.