SXSW Movie Review: We Are Still Here

By Brad Henderson

I’ve been obsessed with horror films all my life. Early on I had a fascination with 1970s and British horror films. This was mainly because our local video store stocked a lot of the Hammer titles and those caught my eye first before I discovered the nitty gritty SOV horror films from the ’80s.

That is one of the main reasons why I absolutely loved We Are Still Here. It feels like it was pulled right out of 1976 and thrown into our laps with modern gore and special effects. Virtually everything shown in the film uses practical effects and there is minimal CGI. This made it much more enjoyable and gave it that old school feel.

We Are Still Here uses most of the ‘70s/’80s tropes but remains mysterious and suspenseful throughout. I wouldn’t say it’s original, but it feels like it to me because I haven’t seen anything done quite like this in some time besides The Conjuring. Sure we’ve had our share of throwbacks over the course of the past few years, but it seems there is a lack in the traditional haunted house movie department. These days ghost stories use way too much exposition then dive into some character drama so the horror takes a backseat and we can’t remember what we are watching. We Are Still Here doesn’t do that at all. The horror is there from the moment the title card pops up until the final frame of the film.

Over the last few years, ghost stories and haunted house films all follow the formula of a crime procedural, where our characters become detectives. In We Are Still Here we are given minor exposition that’s quick, sweet, and to the point. People may think the dialogue or acting is stilted but I can assure you with this script and these actors it’s all intentional.

We Are Still Here is genuinely frightening and has some spectacular special effects that will leave you wanting more. That’s one thing that ghost stories and haunted house movies tend to lack. In We Are Still Here we are given buckets of blood along with our kills, which is energizing. The effects were done by Marcus Koch who I think is one of the best in the biz. I hope that he gets his big break soon because this guy has been at it for a long-ass time. Check out 100 Tears if you don’t believe me.

The cast consists of classic and familiar actors, another factor that made this movie stand out. Barbara Crampton and Monte Markham (director of Neon City) give some great performances and this is probably the best of Markham’s entire career.

We Are Still Here is definitely one of the better haunted house films from the past couple of decades and I will be championing it for a long time. It’s a great take on a classic story with a modern spin and it doesn’t hurt that there are quite a few surprises along this bloody ride.