Review: Ghost from the Machine (2010)

Browsing through my Netflix (as usual), this indie flick caught my eye because of all the accolades plastered across the front of the poster image.  Apparently, Ghost from the Machine is the debut movie (and the only movie thus far) from writer/director Matt Osterman.  His first flick, while not a smashing success, does have quite a bit to please the thinking audience.

The general story revolves around a man named Cody.  Cody’s parents have died in a car crash, leaving him in charge of raising his little brother, James.  Cody, however, is preoccupied with building a machine that will allow him to speak with his deceased parents.  The movie follows him as he tries new things, attempts to convince his little brother that all the time spent is worth it and deals with the problems of raising his sibling.

As things progress, Cody actually gets the machine running.  Unfortunately, an electrical engineer by the name of Tom figures out what’s going on when his 6-years-dead wife shows up one night.  At first, Tom is against the idea of giving the dead a second chance with the living, but he slowly becomes obsessed with keeping the specter of his wife around.  A conflict ensues.

Meanwhile, Cody and James begin to realize that keeping spirits around is not necessarily a good thing.  Their house happens to have been the home of two crazy killers and when they return, they threaten the lives of the brothers.

The movie is really outstanding in the way that it’s filmed and in the performance of the stars.  The premise is one that has been used many times, but the approach is slightly different, a little more introspective.  Some of the scenes come across a bit heavy handed and the subplot with the crazy ghosts along with the arc concerning James and his potentially being taken away by Child Services could have been left out and the rest of the film would have probably run smoother, but all-in-all it’s a pretty decent film.

If you like thinking films and don’t mind a slow build-up, Ghost from the Machine is a good casual watch.  I’m looking forward to seeing was Osterman will produce once he gets a little more experience under his belt.  For more information on the film, along with the trailer, you can head over to the movie’s official web site.

Ghost from the Machine courtesy giantfreakinrobot.com