There are moments in movies where the world that has been developed thus far turns out to be false in some way, usually shocking the audience. Called a twist is most scenarios they, by their nature, are meant to catch the audience off guard, for better or worse. Some would say that knowing there is a twist in a film beforehand can take away from the overall experience but there are movies where the surprise is so immense that no one could have seen it coming. The twist in Ghosts of War is one that is so out of the left-field that it could be considered ridiculous, I certainly thought so, but it earns it in a way that is surprising beyond just the shock of the twist

In Nazi-occupied France an American army troop has been instructed to relieve a fellow troop that is watching guard over an abandoned mansion. They find the troop currently living there quite scared considering it is more comfortable than being on the front like. While the first few hours go by without any strange occurrences, they then begin to hear and see things that they cannot explain. As they slowly begin to uncover the mystery of the mansion, the spirits begin to become restless and the troops soon find out the house may not be as safe as they thought.

For most of the film Ghosts of War is a straight forward haunted house movie with the backdrop of World War 2. While it could be called a little generic in that sense, it gets everything right that a haunted house movie should. The heavy atmosphere, creepy tone, and things hiding around every corner just out of the characters’ sight but there for eagle-eyed audience members to enjoy. Every moment in the house with the troops is perfectly put together so that when the tone, story, and atmosphere are pulled out from beneath the viewers it is all the more effective.

What was less enjoyable in Ghosts of War was some pacing issues and an apparent editing error. Everything is top-notch with the haunted house esthetic but there comes a time in the film when the Nazis invade the house that is not as interesting. One of the characters is gravely injured at the very start of the scene which, while harrowing, causes the rest of the scene to feel underwhelming. Right before the confrontation with the Nazis, the characters had noticeable bruises and bloody marks on their faces, that had not been there before which was very confusing, to say the least. After the battle with the Nazis, it became very clear that the scenes were unfortunately out of order and should have been swapped.

Pacing issues and mixed up scenes aside Ghosts of War was an enjoyable experience worth recommending. The whole haunted house esthetic is played close to perfection and aside from the main character, all of the troops are interesting characters with their own unique traits. If you pick it up and for some reason don’t enjoy yourself, stick it out for that ending, it truly is a sight to behold.

7 out of 10