According to the Chinese calendar, during the seventh month of every year vengeful spirits are allowed to break free from hell and mix it up with mortals.  Throughout this month, there are precautions that need to be taken in order to avoid any terrifying contact with these demons. It is during this month, that housekeeper Alyssa (Marina Resa) decides to take a job at a wealthy Chinese family’s home in the desert and the thrills begin.

 

The entire film is a mess.  The acting in most horror films is usually sub par. However, this film has managed to cast no talent whatsoever.  The performances are all timid and lacking any kind of identity.  The audience could careless what happens to the characters and inevitably the film suffers.  The writing manages to move the story along somewhat.  Unfortunately, the dialogue is no where near reasonable.  For example, Alyssa’s ex-boyfriend Jerome (Jerrod Edington) has a meltdown in his car when she will not answer her phone.  He screams for what seems to be an eternity and the audience is left reeling not by his performance, but by his brutal attempt at intensity.  The dialogue seems childish and forced, the desired effect is a lover’s quarrel but the reality seems to be a toddler having a temper tantrum.

 

The score is good, however, there is way too much of it.  The score needs to flow seamlessly within the film and viewers should almost not be aware of it.  The score needs to build the appropriate amount of suspense and aid in the thrill. Ghost Month manages to do the exact opposite. This film smothers viewers with a score that does not end.  It runs rampant throughout the entire film and rarely stops. If the score would take a break and allow the characters and tone to develop naturally, the film may have had a chance. The effect is an overwhelming experience that distracts viewers from the film. 

 

There is a positive in this film.  The location shooting in the Nevada desert is above expectations.  The director took advantage of shooting in the desert and some of the shots are quite well done.  The other shot selection is not so good. By frequently over using zoom the audience cannot properly get comfortable. The lighting is very poor throughout the film.  The darkness overpowers the frame and viewers struggle to follow the film. The director (Danny Draven) manages to produce several decent shots in a 100 minute film.  Overall, the shot selection had very few positive moments.

 

The film attempts to root itself in Asian tradition and ideally attach itself to some popular Asian horror films. Unfortunately, the film does not take a strong enough stance on its direction and the result is a horribly disconnected film that will only attract negative attention. The film looks and feels like an extended Outer Limits episode gone horribly wrong.