‘1944, Borley, Essex. The most haunted house in England’
The Haunting of Borley Rectory is a 2018 British supernatural horror film directed by Steven M. Smith (Doll House; Doll Cemetery; The Howling; The Doll Master; Haunted) from a screenplay co-written with Christopher Jolley (Age of the Living Dead; Once Upon a Time at Christmas; Virus of the Dead), based on Smith’s storyline. Also known as aka The Haunting of Borley Manor
The Greenway Entertainment-Haunted 25 production stars Zach Clifford, Rad Brown (Scare Attraction; Doll Cemetery), Sonera Angel and Garry Roost.
The soundtrack score was composed by Darren Wonnacott (Scare Attraction; Doll Cemetery; Haunted 2 and 3).
Plot:
England, 1944. A recovering American serviceman is sent to a remote cottage in Essex where he is instructed to monitor German airwaves. His nightmares of combat haunt him, and his rehabilitation is distracted by the discovery of the half-demolished Borley Rectory and something ungodly that is still there.
This evil presence follows him back to the cottage and his nightmares overlap into Hell. He calls on Harry Price (Rad Brown), the famous paranormal investigator, to come and help him solve the mystery of the nun of Borley.
But who is on his side and who is not? Amid the intrigue of Marianne (Sonera Angel) and Lionel Foyster’s unconventional relationship and rising public angst, Price prepares to launch his experiments and solve the case. However, soon after his arrival, everyone linked to the rectory begins to face terrifying ordeals.
Price, who has a history of ill-health and a burning desire to be revered, is the clear focus of a very bitter and twisted ghostly presence. Unexpectedly, and with tragic consequences, Price finds himself the scapegoat for a brutal crime committed many years ago.
But what is real and what is not? Can Marianne be trusted, or does she see this as her opportunity for the success, freedom and celebrity she has always craved? In investigating Borley, his last project before he retires, has Price gone too far? As the tension builds inside the rectory and the anger of the local residents outside, who or what will prevail?
Reviews:
“The Haunting of Borley Rectory contains many scenes that drag on with rather mundane dialogue and dragged out scenes. Whilst at times the movie feels like The Haunting of Boring Rectory, be patient. There are genuinely scary moments dotted around and a whole host of good acting on display.” Back to the Movies
“This latest title from Smith […] underlines his own steady improvement. Where The Howling had some fine moments, this genuinely spooky ghost tale is his first consistently good feature. Excellent period detail – including some corking 1940s hairstyles – is enhanced by Peter Panoa’s terrific photography…” British Horror Revival
“Creepy and some jumpy moments from the start and throughout the film as well as being in an eerie, atmospheric setting. I watched this film alone at night. Played on my mind a bit but that’s ok because it goes to show just how well the characters were portrayed.” Carol’s Reviews
“Though The Haunting of Borley Manor dresses for success, its micro-budget prevents the film from ever achieving its full potential. Which is a common enough issue with indie releases, but here the cast and crew rise above, never hold back, and deliver performances worthy of a blockbuster.” Cryptic Rock
“The Haunting of Borley Rectory is an incredibly boring horror that takes itself so seriously, it’s kind of awkward. It tries to tell a super serious story but with an uninterested cast, very bland characters and a total lack of actions/scares, it just doesn’t hold the interest.” Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life
“Imagine the most straight-to-DVD cinematography you can, combined with extreme over-editing to get around terrible acting performances. Throw in a complete lack of anything approaching a scare; $2 effects to make the eyes of a ghost nun glow; a completely nonsensical plot; and more shots of a sweaty lead awakening from a dream than has ever before been committed to film.” Kaisersoze
Release:
High Fliers Films released The Haunting of Borley Rectory on DVD in the UK on 25 February 2019. The film is available in the USA as The Haunting of Borley Manor on Amazon Prime and DVD via 101 Films.
Trailer:
Full film free to watch on YouTube
Cast and characters:
Zach Clifford … Robert; Rad Brown … Harry Price; Sonera Angel … Marianne
Garry Roost … Edward Gibson; Kit Pascoe … Laura; Georgi Taylor Wills … The Nun; Matthew Fitzthomas Rogers … Brigadier Jenkins; Mark Behar … Witness; Jimmy ‘The Bee’ Bennett … German Soldier; Anastasia Cane … Attacking Nun; Zane Casablanca … Lorenzo Zizzi; Paul Durso … Postman; Jon-Paul Gates … Rudi Schneider; Hans Hernke … Private Hicks; Guy Robbins … Monk
Filming locations:
Borley, Essex and Devon, England
Original title:
Borley
Technical details:
1 hour 32 minutes
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
