Review: Supernatural thriller ‘Eloise’ glosses over ambitious storytelling
Director Robert Legato and screenwriter Christopher Borrelli set their shocker “Eloise” in the abandoned asylum of the same name, outside Detroit. But Oscar-winning special effects artist Legato (making his feature-directing debut) adds so much visual polish that he covers up too much of the grimy atmosphere.
Chase Crawford stars as the cash-strapped Jacob, whose late father left him a healthy inheritance, provided he can prove the death of an aunt once housed at Eloise. Unwilling to wait for the state bureaucracy, Jacob calls on a burglar buddy (Brandon T. Jackson), a nerdy expert on the hospital’s history (P.J. Byrne) and the expert’s sister (Eliza Dushku) to help him break into the facility and swipe the documentation that’ll get him paid.
Borrelli’s script takes a supernatural turn fairly early on, as the intruders hallucinate that they’re back in time in a functioning Eloise, hounded by an officious doctor (Robert Patrick). Through their visions, they unravel the mysteries of Jacob’s family.
The plot of “Eloise” is more ambitious than the typical “haunted asylum” picture, but the retro costumes and set-dressing in the flashbacks belong more to a TV drama than a low-budget thriller. Ever since Brad Anderson’s 2001 horror classic “Session 9,” filmmakers have looked for their own crumbling old buildings filled with rusting medical equipment. With “Eloise,” Legato and company take a prime location, rich in history, and make it look like a soundstage.
-------------
‘Eloise’
Rating: R for language and horror violence.
Running time: 1 hour, 28 minutes
Playing: Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica; Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »
Movie Trailers
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
