An all-star cast are bought together for teen ghost story, ‘Another Me’. Schoolgirl Fay (Sophie Turner) is haunted by visions of a doppelganger as she tries to balance the grief of her wheelchair bound Father (Rhys Ifans) and adulterant Mother (Claire Forlani) along with a rivalry at school backed by a starring role in the school play.

 

Fay’s suspicions of who, or what, the doppelganger is soon come to fruition when a shock revelation by her mother leads her to understand why this malevolent twin is haunting her.

 

While the film may have been in development hell for some time (created back in 2013 with a pre-‘Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner) it is only now that the UK gets to finally see the end product. At its core, ‘Another Me’ is a ghost story that we see little of in modern cinema. Away are the predictable jump scares that plague mainstream horror in favour of something that manages to deliver slow paced chills that lead to a dramatic conclusion.  Turning its attention to developing a story with strong characters and engaging drama, the emotion driven by its cast travels further than the screen into the hearts of its audience.

 

Ifans holds what could well be the performance of his career, despite spending the entirety of the film house and wheelchair bound, his character emits a need for any cold hearted soul to empathise with the grief his accident has caused on his family. Allowing his family to crumble apart with no question as the guilt of solitude cocoons his shell of a former self. It truly is a terrific role that proves that Ifans is a real treasure and while the supporting cast convey a gripping drama, it is Turner’s mystery that holds it all together. It may be said that she her voice is not the best choice for narration but after already proving herself in ‘Game of Thrones’, shows off the reason why she is the new golden girl of cinema.

 

With a 12A certificate, there is little to see here where blood and guts are concerned but what Isabel Coixet has on screen is a slow burner that familiarizes itself with Mike Flanagan’s ‘Absentia’ which is no bad thing at all. The script is atmospheric and gripping and with no need for any level of special effects, is driven by the performance from its central cast, all of whom are well chosen. It is the unknown that keeps the audience guessing and with some truly terrific performances, less is more as the truth comes out.

 

Director: Isabel Coixet

Released: 29th August 2015

Running Time: 86 minutes

Age Rating: 12A

 

Reviewer: Martyn Wakefield