The Enfield Haunting (2015) User Reviews (31)

Poltergeist pushed to the sidelines again.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 22 May 2015]

The Enfield Poltergeist was, to many of us growing up in 1970s Britain, a terrifying story. Between 1977 and 1979, a council house in Enfield, England, was supposedly the home to a poltergeist, the definition of which is noisy ghost. The main focus of the poltergeist activity was towards young Janet Hodgson, giving some credence to the experts belief that poltergeists hone in on pre-pubescent teenagers. The events at the house caused a media storm, enticing specialists, believers and sceptics to visit and fuel a fire that still simmers away today.

Interestingly the title of this British production has it right, in that calling it a haunting at least doesn't lie to the viewers. As with Tobe Hooper's 1982 film, Poltergeist, the presence of a poltergeist spirit is pretty much a side-bar to another story, where Hooper's film went off to another dimension, Kristoffer Nyholm & Joshua St Johnston's film here dials into grief and absent parents, then choosing to grab demonic possession and mediums for its big shocks.

Many liberties have been taken with the facts, with added outside interests brought in to flesh a story out. Though the core essence of the story, the suspicions of truth etc, remain. The Enfield Haunting is a grand and unsettling production, undeniably scary for those that buy into the possibility of a haunting of this type being real. The performances are led by quality thespians, Timothy Spall and Juliet Stevenson, both of whom play grief and distress with a shattering conviction, and young Eleanor Worthington Cox as Janet is a bundle of exciting promise. Period detail is first class, though the house used here is some way away from the actual house of the events, while the opening credits are superb, even if they only tantalise as regards the alleged events in the girls' bedroom and disappointingly don't form part of this story.

If this pic has longevity of interest in its own land, or even being capable of garnering interest away from the shores of the UK? Is tricky to say at this point. Because ultimately it plays out with familiar horror conventions, like it's cashing in on the recent cravings for Conjuring and Insidious kinks. Ironically, the team behind The Conjuring have reconvened to make a sequel - about The Enfield Poltergeist. Now I wonder if that one will actually be about a poltergeist... 8/10

Do not compare it to The Conjuring 2

[lvnewby · 8/10 · 14 July 2016]

This 3 part series has arrived on the TV channel Pick recently, not long after I went to watch The Conjuring 2, which is based on the Enfield poltergeist. However, it is important to point out that, if you enjoyed The Conjuring 2 or not, this series is played out very differently and made to entertain you more than terrify you. The characters are portrayed very differently to the film, so much so, you need to see the stories as completely separate. Timothy Spall is genius as can be expected and the story line is based more around him than the family. Very enjoyable short series and definitely worth a watch. I've recorded all three episodes and will definitely watch them again.

Slow, should have been longer, yet excellent all the same!

[andywilliams99 · 8/10 · 5 May 2015]

Firstly The Enfield Haunting is based on a true story, and as with almost all true stories some artistic licence has been applied. Nevertheless the plot of this three part miniseries will have even the most hardened viewer checking under the bed or in the closet. The acting from the entire cast is top notch with the excellent Timothy Spall playing the lead role as the investigator Maurice Grosse. Almost all of the poltergeist activity portrayed in the series actually took place and is well documented, from flying marbles to moving objects, attacks on family members and even the spirit communicating through the daughter – recordings of which can still be heard today. The effects applied and the reactions they invoke are incredibly well constructed and add to the tension. If you can't handle stress or don't like biting your nails this is definitely not for you. Where things do go a little awry though are with the inclusion of some events which simply didn't happen (of which there are very few) and the exclusion of several events which actually did happen. I feel the series should have included some of those events and would have benefited from an additional episode. The plot though did place far too much emphasis on Maurice Grosse and his personal life – something which was never an integral part of the investigation. At the end of the day though this is an extremely good adaptation of real events, well acted, well filmed, and incredibly chilling!

About grief and people, not ghosts

[chaos-rampant · 29 January 2016]

This is delightful in a small way but you have to make a shift. It gives out that it's going to be horror about poltergeists, we get to that effect malicious forces around the house, objects that move, a possessed girl and a seance, in other words we have largely the same events and scenes of a poltergeist film but without the murky oppression of American films of that sort, without the angst or the aural violence.

We get instead a whole other narrative ground beneath our feet, foreboding of another kind - the house as a house of grief, a girl whose father abandoned them "possessed" by a monstrous father, smashing things and hurling abuse. A bereaved father who comes to investigate and finds a surrogate daughter much like the one he lost one day - and named the same no less. All this is made obvious in the course of things.

What I like is that from this ground up we have what the British do so well, an embracing of people and relationships between them that comes with a natural affinity. The Brits are not particularly interesting in a visual way - they're either bland or tend to control too much - but the trade-off in fact is that they delight in faces and spoken words, in the peoplesness of people; the same energy that in the more rowdy Italians tends to waft around the environment, in the case of Brits it's kept firmly inside persons. They are good souls in my mind.

If you look here - all its real charm comes from the adventurousness of human friction, from how characters rub and glide off each other. Lovely actors. The two girls, Janet in particular, one of the most endearing I've seen, an absolute firecracker of sassy spirit.

Eerie and interesting attempt...The Conjuring is still a little bit better.

[tscholf · 7/10 · 9 May 2015]

"The Enfield Haunting" is based off a true paranormal case which took place in Brimstone, England in the 1970's. The truth of the story is an interesting one, where even the police were puzzled by the strange occurrences taking place. On terms of this adaption, it is a fairly decent one. It stays true to the original source for the most part, while changing around a few minor facts. However, If you're expecting slasher Hollywood horror then prepare to be disappointed. Its slow pace and eerie atmosphere is what builds the suspense in this show. The one thing that truly makes this show work is that both the pacing and the characters have a very realistic feel, while still managing to create an entertainment for its audience. This could have easily turned into something clichéd, with the brooding main character dealing inner demons of his past, the skeptic who's only there for his own benefit, and the bratty kid you hope dies but for some reason never does. Instead, the characters actually feel like real people and you feel for everyone in that situation. This is not only credit towards the writing, but the actors as well. Originally I only watched the show after learning that Matthew Macfayden and Timothy Spall were a part of it (two very talented actors who I'm in absolute love with), but everyone was just great, even the kids surprisingly were really talented. My one true con would probably be that it isn't as scary as I wish it could be. There are moments where I know it's trying to be realistic but it ends up being a little silly, particularly when the poltergeist starts to communicate through other people. That could have been a great horror moment, but instead it's pretty off putting and kind of awkward. All in all, it's an interesting attempting. If you're looking for something more realistic then the conjuring then I would recommend this. The horror is definitely more died down, but it still manages to be eerie and very creepy in its own way :)

Decent enough, not strong

[SyoKennex · 6/10 · 29 October 2017]

The Enfield Haunting was a three part show that I was definitely looking forward to watching. As a horror fan, I was excited to watch it, and very happily binged all three episodes in one sitting. I think that maybe expecting it to be more on the horror side was a mistake on my part, but it fell flat for me.

The Enfield Haunting is based more within grief, and how grief affects those it chooses to haunt. This was done very well within The Enfield Haunting. All actors and actresses really brought it to life, and it was an immense feeling of goosebumps and chills for the viewers.

However, the show seemed to lack as it went on. There was potential for a lot more, and it made me cringe a little to see how it just got more boring. The jump scares were mere cheap thrills, cheap tactics over used in horror films and not something that would really affect anyone that watches horror on a large scale. For a television show, more aimed at people who aren't huge horror fans, this was well done, but it bored me out of my skin.

The story line got more and more jumbled and things didn't feel like they were closed at the end, and I think more could have been done. Another episode might have done good in clearing everything up, and frankly, I feel like I wasted my time watching this.

The characters are good, but the plot is pretty sub par, and that for me, was a real killer. It was a shame, truly. I would have liked this to be a seven or eight star review, but six feels too generous as it is.

Only fools and poltergeists......

[FlashCallahan · 7/10 · 29 October 2015]

Between 1977 and 1979, a council house in Enfield, England, was supposedly the home to a poltergeist, a ghost that can move objects, and even cause bodily harm to the living.

The focus of the activity was towards Janet Hodgson, giving some credit to the belief that poltergeists hone in on pre-pubescent teenagers......

Based on the book 'This House Is Haunted', The Enfield Haunting is a TV miniseries that first aired on Sky Living back in May 2015. And obviously because it's a Sky production, like Jurassic Park, they have spared no expense on the production values and garnered a wonderfully impressive cast with Spall, Stevenson, and Macfayden.

With mini series, they follow the same pattern with narrative, and here there is no change. The first episode focuses on character build up and leaving you with an immense cliffhanger, so you have to go back for more.

The second gets right into the 'action' as we learn more about the history of the story, and we find out others problems who are not directly involved with the protagonist, who in this case is young Janet, even though the majority of the narrative is focused on Spall and his characters loss.

The third episode usually tries to wrap everything up, but not before throwing in a swing all for good measure, and this is the problem with the third episode, at the beginning, she is supposedly exorcised, but things just become so absurd with character revelations, you can't help but balk at the episodes progression of the adaptation, and then you begin to realise that Spalls lost puppy look that hasn't changed throughout the whole series, is really starting to grate.

But the attention to detail is wonderful, from posters on the wall, to simple decor like coffee cups, this has a typical late seventies household down to a tee.

Up to a certain point, the programme is spooky, very sinister, and characters visions are very visceral and leftfield, and then we hear the poltergeist speak, and it's unintentionally hilarious to hear a ghost moan about losing ten pound on a football match.

But the cast are great, and despite the final episodes shortcomings, it's quite the gripping watch.

Fantastic

[xsophietaylorx · 9/10 · 12 May 2015]

I saw the adverts for the Enfield haunting and was so excited and I have not been disappointed I think the Enfield Haunting is a great believable representation of the events that actually occurred. It's scary but it's not with the usual stupid scares it's eerie it makes you think about it after you've watched it really does imprint on your opinion of the paranormal. Timothy Spall's acting as usual is brilliant and so very believable. I also think the little girl who plays Janet will go very far her she is also very talented in acting by her portrayal in the Enfield Haunting. The Enfield haunting is just great really, great actors, great representation great everything! It's so fascinating that the events actually happened it's made me want to read more into the events of the Enfield Haunting. The only negative I will have to mention is that Sky Living most definitely take the shine of it with the amount of adverts they ram Into the programme you get to see around 5 minutes of the programme and then an advert. Seeing as there's only three episodes you think they would have the Curtisy not to do this. the Enfield haunting probably could have managed to be a short film rather then the three episodes. However it is most definitely worth the watch.

Weak

[venuslocal-27633 · 6/10 · 28 January 2022]

Despite the raving of one reviewer, who doesn't seem to know that different people can have differing views about the same topic, this mini-series misses the mark. The acting was good and the story was quite engaging ... until the last 10 minutes. The scene at the very end is the epitome of corny and, frankly, let down an otherwise fairly interesting watch.

A little pretty jewel

[mesiax · 9/10 · 12 November 2016]

I have seen this TV film quietly on my couch next to my wife, one of those Sunday afternoons without much to do and almost by chance, and I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised ... In fact, I truly believe that it is a small jewel and aspiring cult movie. The setting is surprisingly good, the script, based on a book by Guy Lyon Playfair (one of the Enfield investigators), is magnificent. It does not abuse of any special effects, and it does back to the typical horror- suspense movies of the 70's and 80's like "The Changeling" type. Now that all horror films are gore or a collection of special effects, that is thankful. In addition, the script is full of subtle comic moments, surreal even, perfectly matched with the suspense of the film, that far from falling into the "Scary Movie" manners, what it does is humanize the characters, make them closer to the viewer and endow them with a certain psychological depth; help to this the great performances (along with the great script), of practically all the actors and actresses of this, in my opinion, small great work of art. The girl who plays Janet (Eleanor Worthington Cox) and the actor who plays Grosse (Timothy Spall) are immeasurable, great. The background of the work transcends the simple entertainment cinema (which is, but with quality), and penetrates into areas such as the importance of attachment in relationships, love, youth and adolescence, the importance of family, etc ... Simply great, hopefully this type of cinema more personal (even if it is in the fantastic-terror terrain) popularizes and more works are done as well as this. It is not necessary to spend a million- euro in special effects in a movie so that it can turn out (this film is proof of it), in fact this film gains credibility by using the just and the just, sometimes very handmade. A film conceived for TV, very good and highly recommended!.

Could and should have been better.

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 24 April 2020]

To be honest I was expecting more from this mini-series. The subject for a good story is there, but the delivery was too weak in my humble opinion. Not that I regret watching it, but I won't watch it again in the future as for that there are much better movies about the Enfield haunting. I'm also not a big fan of Timothy Spall. Not that he's a bad actor but to me he always has a little something that annoys me, something that doesn't make him believable in his acting. The Enfield Haunting just lacks some decent horror scenes to keep the fans of the genre satisfied, now it all feels a bit bland. I can see why people will like this mini-series though but i'm just not a fan.

I've finally seen it after all this time, and really enjoyed it.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 20 March 2016]

Once of those shows I've had sitting about for ages, and finally gotten around to watching. Part one takes a little bit of effort to get through, as it was a little slow in parts, but the further you get into it, the better it gets. A little tame I'd guess for the fans of the haunting horror genre, but this did so much more then just go for cheap scares, it focused the relationships between the characters, and the deep emotional scars caused by loss.

The acting is fantastic, Timothy Spall, Rosie Cavaliero, Matthew MacFadyen and Juliet Stevenson are all as brilliant as ever, what a capable display of talent. Young Eleanor Worthington-Cox is just incredible though, awesome as Janet Hodgson.

Hard to believe this story is based on real life events, but true enough, it's all well documented. I felt this adaptation did it justice, they didn't go for cheap thrills, it was made in a tasteful and feasible way. The scene between Maurice and 'Janet' was beautifully played.

Possibly a little overlong, but undoubtedly enjoyable nonetheless, a very worthy 8/10

Missed chance

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 27 April 2016]

THE ENFIELD HAUNTING is a three-part miniseries dramatisation of the famous real-life poltergeist case from 1977, in which psychic investigators Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair researched the plight of two sisters who were being haunted by a ghost in their own bedroom.

It was a hugely influential storyline and one which still sends shivers up my spine; to date, the BBC mockumentary GHOSTWATCH has been the best adaptation of the material despite making up its own storyline. Sadly, this version of events is heavily fictionalised, and too obsessed with having the main characters emotionally involved with the storyline.

It seems you can't just have characters investigating a ghost anymore. There have to be back stories, emotionally wrought moments, and family scenes for the investigators (Juliet Stevenson is a good actress but her character is entirely redundant here). I don't think any of it actually happened in the real case, but if that's what viewers want, right? Well, not this one. Although Playfair himself was involved in the script, I blame Joshua St. Johnston, whose track record is hardly appropriate for horror-themed fare.

Although the 1970s setting is an effective one, too much of this show feels like an EXORCIST clone at times. The possession scenes are often repetitive, and the visions of the old man are cheesy rather than scary. Sadly the filmmakers today feel that more is better when it comes to ghost stuff, so you get ridiculous films like INSIDIOUS filling cinemas and inspiring others to approach material in the same way. A subtle approach instead would have worked wonders. What you're left with is a pair of excellent performances from the completely reliable Timothy Spall and Matthew Macfadyen, and not a whole lot else.

The first two episodes have the scares and the third has the heart

[maxglen · 8/10 · 17 October 2019]

The first two are excellently creepy, really edge of your seat stuff. I remember the first time I watched the third I was disappointed but after rewatching it and thinking about it , the final episode of the trilogy is a much more heartfelt and emotional episode which really gives Morris the depth and character development he needed to bring the show full circle and reach a satisfying conclusion. Overall really good mini series. 8.5 out of 10

decent amount of chills

[martin-fennell · 8/10 · 11 April 2021]

3 part british haunted house mini series made in 2015. Very well acted, and with a good amount of decent chills.

Based on a "true" story from the 70's. I also like that it is filmed as if it was made in the 70's. Well made for british tv.

The conjuring 2 was based on the same case.

The Conjuring 2.5

[dhart-13655 · 9/10 · 28 April 2021]

Not as exciting as James Wan's/New Line Cinema version of the same Enfield poltergeist, but very enjoyable and more believable.

Nothing Like the Original Story-Complete TV Dramatic Rubbish!

[alixj248 · 3/10 · 23 May 2015]

If you are familiar with the REAL account of the Enfield haunting, you would have heard stories of a divorce which tore a family apart, sending a mother and her two adolescent girls to a council flat in Enfield London. In 1977 Poltergeist activity began in the flat mostly in the Girl's bedroom, and in the walls. There were sounds of knocking, a scratching fireplace and objects levitating as well as the girls themselves being lifted out of bed by an unknown force. Morris Gross a paranormal investigator, decided to look into the case by paying them a visit. Janet, the young girl spoke in an old man's voice and Margaret, the older child explained the hauntings, and the youngest son had been thrown out of bed, a few times.

HOWEVER-That is NOT what this Drama portrays.

I wasn't even sure I was watching the same story. Everything was blown far out of proportion! The events in the first two episodes were accurate, such as Timothy Spall ( who is always gold for me) and the child actress playing Janet was brilliant but they did not match the truth. The third and fourth episodes were highly disappointing.For one, I don't remember a glowing ball of light follow Janet around burning her (the line "like Tinker Bell!" was just cringe-worthy.) -nor do I recall her as saying she saw visions of people in the bathroom mirror. In the real account, I don't remember reading about Janet's hospital visit where she tipped over her bed to try and escape the ball of light. I certainly don't remember the part of Janet's story where she is locked out of her house and then sees herself sitting with her sister and grandmother! Who the hell wrote that?!

The ants were very stupid too, there were no violent attacks on the girls to the point where they had bruises. We don't even know if half of what they said happened was true. They have said things that seem to give away their positions of lies. In an interview one even tried to silence the other if she said anything about it being a hoax.

The real Morris Grosse came out about this saying it was "Television Drama tripe." He said they were going to stick to the real story but they just butchered it. They tried to do what The Conjuring did, I felt like I was watching a sequel to that (ironically the upcoming sequel is all about the Enfield Haunting,) I love all these actors I really do, but their talent was wasted here.

Love the Actors and Actresses-they did a terrific job. Just not a big fan of the overly dramatized accounts. This was very poor.

Great poltergeist show!

[KILERQUEEN · 8/10 · 30 May 2023]

It is not often you get to see a great poltergeist series. This short series kept you wanting to know what's going to happen next. It was like a horror and drama together. You felt the emotions each actor gave. All the actors did an amazing job! I do not think there was one part in this show I disliked. The only reason I did not give it a 10 is because I have seen better shows, but that's not a bad thing. For a 2015 film (8 years old) they did an incredible job. My favorite part is when the medium and Janet spoke at the same time! I would definitely recommend this show to everyone of all ages. I watched the show on Prime. Great job everyone!

Starts well, then deteriorates, and then deteriorates some more.

[fedor8 · 23 February 2023]

Three-episode series.

The first episode is quite good, the second one gradually deteriorates into boredom, and the third one is completely useless, hard to sit through.

The reason for this downward spiral is the under-developed script, which becomes so repetitive that it gives the impression that the writer initially did a script for an 80-minute film, then was asked to extend it by another 50 minutes, without changing anything. Repetition kills the movie, with psychics constantly being in and out of the haunted house, in and out of the case, it's just ridiculous. It's like a Roadrunner cartoon, except that you get 5 minutes of repetition in one of those, not over two hours. The motives for their "conflicts" with each other are dull and silly; there's always some trivial reason for one of the psychics becoming temporarily skeptical or abandoning the case or whatever. These reasons get blown out all out of proportion, a song-and-dance is made out of them.

Also silly is the writer attempting a haunting house plot based on a "real haunting", which inevitably mixes reality and BS in ways that have to fail by default. It's rather simple: in the world of movies ghosts exist, but in the real world they don't. This clash of worlds seldom works in horror films, because we are asked to treat this as a regular haunting within a movie in which anything is possible - and yet we're also asked to believe that this nonsense really happened in real life. Yet the two are mutually exclusive, they don't gel, they can't. They conflict and contradict each other in various ways.

As a result, we are conflicted between liking the psychics (for helping a haunted girl) and disliking them (for making everything up - as real-life persons).

So no, you can't have it both ways, a haunting story AND based on real life. It's not as if the "based on a real event" is just some small caption mentioned only once in the opening or end credits. No. It is an agenda that's constantly being pushed, i.e. We are often being reminded that "hey, you're watching a REAL haunting here not just a film!". No, we're not, you damn knuckleheads. There are ghosts harassing the girl, and that means it's only happening in the movie, you bird-brain liars.

Additionally stupid is how these phony psychics (I mean, phony in the REAL world, not in the movie world) are actually quite SKEPTICAL, constantly nit-picking DESPITE being overwhelmed by evidence that the girl IS in fact possessed. This is both ironic and laughable, because in REAL life psychics do the complete OPPOSITE: they make a big deal out of literally every small thing (and often nothing), always seeking for means to BS their way toward the end-goal - which is that the supernatural exists and that ghosts haunt places and people.

A skeptical conman? A scientifically-orientated charlatan? Yeah, sure... Such a dumb concept.

The cast is good, especially the girl, but the plot and script are too feeble to maintain interest for long.

Excellent Version of this Story

[thxuk · 10/10 · 15 October 2021]

Not only is this is an excellent story but it's also well casted. The problem with most films like The Conjuring which I do like, it's more about the special effects and not about the story it self. Most of the time they make things up to make it more exciting but to me it makes it more unbelievable. The thing about this version it's more about the story and I think that's so much better !

Excellent film 10/10.

Best Ghost Show Ever

[naughtydogproductions · 10/10 · 25 April 2015]

The Enfield Haunting is a scary but interesting ghost story based on real events. I feel like the show has given me the belief in ghosts, the events happened in 1977 and I feel amazing after watching the first episode. Although it has cheesy scenes and parts where you feel like sleeping till death, you'll get intrigued after the first 5 minutes. Don't Worry. Unlike other movies/shows that contain ghosts this topped it all, The Conjuring is a sequel to The Enfield Haunting and The Conjuring can't even get to the wonderful standards of this show. The part where the girls notice that the poltergeist is in the room brings heart- pounding moments and moments were you eyes are glued for the entire episode.

I was extremely disappointed...

[paigecorene · 2/10 · 7 January 2016]

Hearing about the up coming movie The Conjuring 2, I was interested in learning about The Enfield Haunting. I am highly interested in learning about paranormal stories, watching movies and shows about it.This show was truly disappointing.I read up on the real story before watching the T.V series which only consisted of 3 episodes. The acting, the dialogue and the story was all rubbish. Understanding the plot and what was going on between the characters was nearly impossible. It was extremely sloppy and unorganized.I can withstand watching a lot of things, but this was unbearable. Don't waste your time watch 3, 45 minute episodes of this garbage.

Professionally done

[carterkev · 10/10 · 3 February 2023]

This is a great series, not over done and very believable. This is because it's done professionally with good, if not great actors. Not like the Hollywood rubbish, this looks right and feels right. The performances are all fantastic especially the little girl who plays Janet, such a talent. The 70s period is great especially if you grew up at that time. I enjoyed it and much prefer this to the jump scare, over done dramatic American rubbish, that comes out of Hollywood these days. Very well acted and directed the whole series was exciting and interesting to watch. Alright they have included a back story etc to thick it out but it works and it works well. Highly recommended.

This is a house of death

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 18 January 2018]

MAY CONTAIN A MINOR PLOT SPOILER OR TWO

This is a TV mini-series consisting of three 45 minute episodes. In August 1977, the Hodgson family has been bothered by a rash of poltergeist. It seems to center around Janet (Eleanor Worthington-Cox) an 11 year old girl who likes to play pranks and tell scary stories. They call in Maurice Grosse (Timothy Spall) who coincidentally had a daughter Janet who died one year ago on a motorcycle accident. It seems Janet is being bothered by a poltergeist named Joe with a dirty mouth. They make a pretty big deal over it so they can run a mini-series.

I like the film, although this haunting wasn't too horrific...that "based on a true story" thing tends to water things down a bit as reality is dry. Interesting to watch, just wished it went somewhere.

Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

To you MORONS who said stupid crap like"missed opportunity" YOU'RE WAY OFF THIS WAS BRILLIANT!!!

[joiningjt · 10/10 · 13 October 2021]

Absolutely positively 1 of the best poltergeist films series ever made. The 3 episodes were perfect, didnt have to draw us out with boring stuff just get to the heart of the story, the cast is absolutely PHENOMENAL especially the actress who plays Janet. What a brilliant job by her as good as Linda blair if not better!! If you can watch this stop right now and WATCH!!!