The Ghost Writer

The rather unpleasant writer Gilliger (Luke Mably) the son of his far more acclaimed (and successful) father Irwin (Robert Portal) has set out for the country retreat that was left him in the will for inspiration. His books aren’t selling and his agent is hoping that this move will do the trick. As well as his laptop Gilliger arrives at the house with bottles of booze, which he knows he shouldn’t have. He nevertheless drinks himself to sleep over his laptop waking up with the typical drunk’s regret.

With memories and flashbacks to his father and shots on axes and shotguns, the viewer and Gill are drip fed portents. Not getting anywhere fast Gill find a rolled-up manuscript of an unpublished novel by his father in the sink wastepipe. Reading it he realises its good, very good and so he decides that it shouldn’t go to waste. Settling down to write he’s interrupted by a woman at the door Jane (Andrea Deck) who barges in as if they know each other. Bemused he asks her to leave only to later find her in his bed. Stranger still he later meets up with Patrick (Brendan Patricks) who is looking for his but obviously has something to do with Jane.

Joined into all this the estate agent who is trying to sell the property, who also has connections to his father. These, his drinking and memories (and warnings) of his father begin to take their mental strain Gill as he slowly builds up in his mind, what is going on.

Carefully crafted with a creepy atmosphere throughout The Ghost Writer does takes its time but is nonetheless engrossing. And that’s with characters (other than one) who aren’t that sympathetic. Jane does come over as tragic and used. But the main thing here is that the plot keeps the viewer interested and as to what these visitors are. As they can take different interpretations until things get stitched up towards the end.