by At this point I’m not even sure if I really like the Blackwell Ghost. I know the story is fake, and that the ghostly events we witness in this series aren’t real. The Blackwell Ghost 5 recently released, and I found myself pondering why I would watch it. The overarching story is a fun romp that’s borderline spooky, and the director/star Walker Clay is actually really likeable. Plus, at this point, I’m in too deep to simply let abandon ship. I need to watch the story finally conclude on the Lightfoot serial killer, and bring some piece to Sarah Baker (even if she’s not a real person). Today we’re going to be reviewing the Blackwell Ghost 5. Strap yourself in and get ready for a mystery!
By now, if you’re watching the fifth installment, chances are you’ve watched the previous ones. It would make little sense to approach a documentary series like this any other way. If you’re thinking about jumping in at this point I recommend against it; there’s very little backstory given and most of the footage here is original to this film. The Blackwell Ghost 5 picks up from where part 4 left us. He’s still investigating the murder of Sarah Baker by the hands of a serial killer James Lightfoot. Clay has left the Blackwell House in the dust in favor of the Florida everglades where he continues his investigation from a house in the middle of nowhere which supposedly belonged to James Lightfoot himself.
At the onset of this continuation of his investigation Turner is being interviewed by the police who have found a map in a bottle thanks to Turner’s previous efforts. Initially they’re reticent to share any details with him, but thanks to a legal loophole they can deputize our determined documentarian. This gives him access to all evidence and records on the Lightfoot case, and is also the set up for this new installment of the ongoing documentary. The amateur ghost hunter returns to the Lightfoot home once again. As he explains he’s no longer looking to prove the existence of ghosts (he clearly thinks he has already done so) but rather, to help the spirits out.
I’m just going to come out and say it. The Blackwell Ghost 5 might just be the worst one of the bunch. I’ve never felt ripped off paying a few bucks to rent each one until now. This one is all sorts of out of whack. I’ve always loved the attention to detail in these movies. Turner does a lot of investigation and always goes in depth with his findings. Unfortunately that’s not the case here. Before we even see any action with the ghosts there’s usually an awful lot of exposition. It’s the best part of the Blackwell Ghost series, and it’s almost entirely absent from this sequel. Gone are the numerous and inciteful (sometimes downright charming) interviews and character interactions. Now we’ve just got Turner narrating things that we mostly already know (if we’ve been keeping up with the Lightfoot Serial Killer murders that is).
What’s more is that the ghost (again, we’re presuming it’s Sarah Baker) is a one trick pony. It’s like Turner Clay couldn’t think of anything better for it to do than bang against the walls. This has been effective in the past, but it’s wearing thin by now. Plus, he used to bring along several gadgets and try new things to find out more about the ghosts. In the Blackwell Ghost 5 he just re-uses his old tricks. It’s pretty clear that Turner is running out of new ideas to keep the Blackwell Ghost fresh. It might be time for him to simply solve the case (come on, we all know this is staged) and move on to a new haunting. The story of James Lightfoot is running out of steam.
By the time Turner Clay actually got down to business (instead of simply re-treading old material) I was annoyed. He returns to the turquoise colored home (which remains eerie even in this latest film) but his big idea this time is to use ambient light. It doesn’t pay off (he’s getting better at making the ghosts seem real by failing like this). Instead we’re left watching him sit in a dimly lit room looking terrified for a very long time. Too long, in fact. This time the ghost does turn on the shower faucet and manages to open the hallway closet and spill blankets on the floor.
Clay continuously questions if there’s some correlation between the bathroom and the closet. He comes just shy of saying it himself as he spells out the entire thing. The fact that anyone would have been able to figure out what the ‘ghost’ was leading him to with relative ease doesn’t lend any authenticity to the story. It does the exact opposite. Instead he dances around it like a dope. It’s so bad that it’s actually funny. I’m not sure that ambient music really fits the documentary style that Turner Clay is going for here.
The Blackwell Ghost 5’s biggest flaw however is that his discovery leads to one of the strangest sequences I’ve ever seen in a documentary or film otherwise. Ambient music plays while he’s awestruck staring at one of the most obvious clues imaginable. We are then treated to a very odd reflection via a monologue, and left with the worst and most annoying cliffhanger of the entire Blackwell Ghost series. Seriously, the fact that he doesn’t show us the clue the ghost was leading to him should be a crime. There’s absolutely no payoff here in the Blackwell Ghost 5. It actually makes me want to skip out on the Blackwell Ghost 6. This is true despite how much time I have invested here.
That’s the entire problem; this feels like a filler release. It’s like something he slapped together in just a few days (it took over a year to make and actually release) and fans of the series are left disappointed with his findings (or lack thereof). It feels like he realized that the Blackwell Ghost 5 is a movie about nothing and tried to make as dramatic and eventful ending as possible. It ruins the illusion of this being a documentary to be honest. Not to spoil too much, but who isn’t going to notice a gaping hole in the wall inside the closet? Not only that, but the fact that the ghosts are banging on the walls on both sides of it… and you still don’t check it out? Come on Turner Clay, you’re going to have to do better if you want us to watch Blackwell Ghost 6.
On the plus side our down home star of this film is still pretty likable. He just doesn’t get a lot of opportunities here to prove it. The Blackwell Ghost 5 has a lot of silence in it that he would, in the past, fill with entertaining dialogue. It makes this one a little boring. I also liked the fact that he spent more time than in the past exploring the wilderness around the home. This approach really helps to make the house feel isolated from the rest of the world, and like the stakes are high.
Unfortunately I just didn’t like the Blackwell Ghost 5 very much. I felt like the most interesting parts of this sequel were re-tread from prior installments. In addition, this was missing a lot of what made the previous documentaries so gripping. Turner Clay should really apply some common sense if he is ever to solve the Lightfoot serial killer case, because at this rate it takes him over an hour to solve the most basic of hurdles. I’ll probably still watch the Blackwell Ghost 6, but I’ll certainly be skeptical going in.
Blackwell Ghost 5
0.00
Pros
- Great production for an indie film
- Nice soundtrack
Cons
- Less detailed than previous installments
- Mostly a re-tread of information
- The obvious is frequently overlooked
