Netflix’s Things Heard and Seen – A Messy Haunted House Drama

Historically speaking, horror has generally not needed a good story to fall back on to be entertaining. Films such as the Halloween series still manage to move the audiences into liking something about them though that’s because it’s easy. Viewers already more or less know what’s going to happen. Over time, these films have developed an expectation thus a level of certainty for the audience. When it comes to a film like Things Heard and Seen, it’s one that is completely on its own and needs to find its audience first. In order to do so, it must first define its audience and unfortunately, it was at this point where this film failed.

Things Heard and Seen is not a ghost story, although it would easy to think that to be the case. In fact, the story focuses on the relationship between a woman named Catherine Claire (Seyfried) and her horrible husband George (Norton). At first, it’s a slow burn as the two appear to be a happy couple. But over the course of the film, viewers begin to see how that may not be the case as their fragile and broken relationship comes to light.

The catalyst for the demise of the Claire relationship gains momentum once they settle into their new home. George has been offered a job he can’t turn his back on. Having to move from Manhattan. to the more rural area of Hudson Valley, Catherine willingly sacrifices her career for her husband, as they pack up and move to Hudson with their daughter.

Things Heard and Seen truly doesn’t begin to get interesting until strange things star to occur within the house which were essentially usual fare. Atmospherically, the film is pretty well-made with a few jump scares to be had. But none of this has anything to do with the issues that face Catherine and George and their relationship at least not on the surface. And this is where the film takes a very different turn. On the one hand, there’s a haunted house to deal with and on the other, a family in turmoil. The film is fragmented, with too many moving pieces to have any real impact. The most exciting part is watching everything between George and Catherine fall apart. So at its core, this film is neither a ghost story nor even a scary movie.

The problem with Things Heard and Seen is how it finishes before it can really start as the end result becomes cluttered in an almost annoying way. The final act is the film’s biggest letdown in that it is so predictable, it will surely leave viewers shaking their collective heads with disappointment. Despite a shaky storyline, the acting is quite strong, with Seyfried and Norton playing Catherine and George Claire respectively believably.

In the end, Things Heard and Seen is a film that simply never got the chance to rise to its full potential. This is primarily due to the awkward hamfisting of a ghost story and a failing relationship drama without ever settling on either before eventually settling on a thriller.

still courtesy of Netflix

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