Set almost entirely within the walls of one house, A Ghost Waits tells the lonely story of building maintenance man Jack (MacLeod Andrews). After being sent to a nightmare property by his boss Neil, Jack discovers that the reason for the constant tenant turnover is down to the fact that the house is haunted. Haunting the building is Muriel (Natalie Walker), a haunter at the top of her game. Her flawless record hits a snag with Jack, and though initially at odds with one another, they soon begin to bond on a very personal level.
As a film about a relationship, A Ghost Waits doesn’t necessarily have much in the way of a traditional plot. Writer and director Adam Stovall decides to scrap the expected rigid three-act structure and instead tells a narrative through a thorough study into the world of isolation. The most troubling aspect of Jack’s loneliness is that he seems like a genuinely nice guy. He’s not the archetypal weirdo loner a la Joker, but rather is an effervescent character full of life and conversation. His plight has seemingly come via his friends having just outgrown him. It’s a sad and sorry fate and one that all too many of us are familiar with.
His character is played to absolute perfection by MacLeod Andrews. We’ve seen him before in previous Frightfest movies – They Look Like People and The Siren, but here he opens up another side that we haven’t seen before. As Jack, he is simply utterly adorable. Andrews plays the character as just the right balance of charmingly sweet nerd, and an offbeat kook. There’s a magic moment involving a toilet that will melt your heart. In contrast to Jack’s easy-breezy approach to life, Muriel is – pardon the pun – much stiffer. The epitome of a career woman, Muriel has been grafting for so long that she literally can’t remember how many years that she has been protecting the home from humans. When put together, the two characters find elements in the other that are lacking in themselves, and a sweet friendship – and maybe more – blossoms.
By shooting in black and white, Stovall really allows the viewer’s attention to focus in on our odd couple, stripping everything back so that their dynamic is front and centre. It also, from a financial perspective, helps to cover up the modest budget. Don’t be fooled into thinking A Ghost Waits is too twee and cutesy though; underneath its sweet frostings lies some serious topics. Stovall does such a good job fooling us that when, and how, the shoe drops, punches the emotions like a dagger through the heart.
A film dedicated to “those who make us feel less alone,” A Ghost Waits is simultaneously uplifting and heartbreaking.
A Ghost Waits was reviewed at FrightFest Glasgow.
