Screenwriter
David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Carlito's Way) directs this supernatural thriller
that has many similarities with The Sixth Sense and a mood that echoes Stanley
Kubrick's The Shining. And strangely enough, this film has hints of Close Encounters
Of The Third Kind and Field Of Dreams (though it's not as effective as any of
those films).
This
film features Kevin Bacon as a hard-working father from a blue collar neighborhood
in Chicago who is put under hypnosis as a gag during a party. When he's brought
out of it, strange things begin to happen. Meanwhile, his young son communicates
with a ghost living in their apartment (sound familiar?). Soon, a local mystery
begins to unfold . . .
Stir
Of Echoes starts off as an engrossing thriller, but is bogged down by an all-too-predictable
mystery. There is also one pivotal moment in the film that seems to be directly
lifted from Stephen King's superior The Dead Zone.
What
really makes this film worth watching is a convincing performance by Kevin Bacon.
Koepp also includes some very unsettling moments in the film; but, unfortuantely
there aren't enough of them. The Sixth Sense had stronger writing and there was
no reason to suspect such an effective twist, whereas this film tries to build
its plot around a very obvious twist.
Stir
Of Echoes fares much better than Stigmata, but doesn't seem fresh enough (coming
off the heels of The Sixth Sense). The underated Kevin Bacon is the real reason
to check this one out.
