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Haunted Mansion — Review: A Pleasant Surprise
by KJ Proulx
Having never been on the ride at Disney and having not liked the early 2000s version of The Haunted Mansion very much, I had zero expectations going into this new version. Even though I knew I loved the entire cast when going in, I was still skeptical that this premise could be done any better. Well, I left the theatre pleasantly surprised. This great ensemble holds this thin story together and makes it a fun ride to take. The only downside of this film is the runtime. Here are my thoughts on Haunted Mansion.
The film begins with Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase Dillon) as they buy a new home, which ends up being, you guessed it, a Haunted Mansion. Realizing they can’t leave, Gabbie hires a medium, a tour guide, a priest and a history buff to help her solve the mystery of this house. The main character of this film really ends up being the tour guide in Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield) because his character ends up being the one with the most revelations and deepest character arc. This cast is the reason to see this film for sure, simply due to the fact that the premise itself it just fine.
LaKeith Stanfield is an actor I have loved for many years now. I will watch anything he’s in simply because he’s such a gifted performer. Honestly, I don’t know what film he thought he was in here…
