Winchester (2018)

In 1906, the widow (Helen Mirren) of the famed gun maker William Winchester secludes herself in her San Jose, California mansion. Overcome with guilt and remorse for the thousands of people who were killed by Winchester guns, she keeps adding rooms to the mansion for the spirits of the Winchester victims. A doctor (Jason Clarke) is assigned to determine her sanity and capability. "Inspired" by the legend of Sarah Winchester and her reputedly haunted house that is still standing and now known as the Winchester Mystery House which is open to the public. Directed by Michael and Peter Spierig (they're brothers), I wasn't expecting much going in and got even less as the film played out. I honestly don't need scares when I go to a horror film but I do need a sense of dread, an atmosphere of menace to permeate the film and there's none of that here. The "scares" are of the usual jump when something appears out of nowhere and there's a big bang on the soundtrack. Music is also important in horror films in giving the movie a sense of foreboding or fear and the underscore by Peter Spierig is just overbearing noise. I hope Mirren was paid well because if this is the kind of project she accepts, how bad are the things she says no to? With Sarah Snook and Laura Brent.