It is the kind of film that several Indian filmmakers, forever mired by convention, should be made to watch in order to understand how the truly gifted can celebrate classicism instead of being trapped by it.

Del Toro creates an effectively eerie atmosphere in the spooky period piece. Skirting the shock tactics and jump scares commonplace in horror movies nowadays, Del Toro opts instead to build up a poetically imagined nightmare.

There’s plenty of doom and Gothic gloom in here but at its heart, this is a beautiful story (albeit a rather unusual one) of courage, and love.

Del Toro’s brilliance is unquestionable but his talent doesn’t always come through with a completely credible experience. This one is somewhere close to brilliant but in experience falls well short.

These computer-generated images along with that of the fine smoky textures of ghosts in 3D effect, merge with Dan Lausten’s cinematography seamlessly, giving the film an aesthetic feel.

But overall, the film does not tug at you emotionally.

…go ahead; venture into the shadowy halls of Allerdale Hall, open the creaking doors and immerse yourself in the devilish delights of this film.