Winchester (film)

Last updated
Winchester
Winchester (film).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by The Spierig Brothers
Screenplay by
  • Tom Vaughan
  • The Spierig Brothers
Produced by
  • Tim McGahan
  • Brett Tomberlin
Starring
CinematographyBen Nott
Edited by Matt Villa
Music byPeter Spierig
Production
companies
  • Bullitt Entertainment
  • Diamond Pictures
  • Imagination Design Works
  • CBS Films
Distributed by
Release dates
  • February 2, 2018 (2018-02-02)(United States)
  • February 22, 2018 (2018-02-22)(Australia)
Running time
99 minutes [2]
Countries
  • Australia
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.5 million [3]
Box office$44 million [2]

Winchester (also known as Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built) is a 2018 supernatural horror film directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, and written by the Spierigs and Tom Vaughan. The film stars Helen Mirren as heiress Sarah Winchester, with Jason Clarke and Sarah Snook, and follows Winchester as she is haunted by spirits inside her San Jose mansion in 1906.

Contents

An American-Australian co-production, the film was released in the United States on February 2, 2018, and in Australia on February 22, 2018. The film received negative reviews from critics, who called it "dull" and "pointless”, but was a box office success, grossing $44 million worldwide against a $3.5 million budget. [4] At the 39th Golden Raspberry Awards, the film was nominated in four categories, including Worst Picture and Worst Actress for Mirren, but didn’t win any of them.

Plot

Sarah Winchester is the widow of famed gun manufacturer William Wirt Winchester. Her husband's sudden death and the previous death of their child Annie have left her in grief. Having received more than twenty million dollars in inheritance, Winchester convinces herself she is cursed by the ghosts of those who died at the hands of Winchester firearms. After seeking advice from a medium, she begins building an enormous, seemingly never-ending mansion in San Jose, California that would eventually be named the Winchester Mystery House. The house is under constant construction and Sarah's niece Marion Marriott lives in the house with her son Henry. At night, Henry is possessed by a mysterious entity.

In 1906, the Winchester company hires Doctor Eric Price to stay at the house and assess Sarah, believing she is mentally unfit to remain in charge of the company. Eric is grieving from the death of his wife Ruby and is reliant on drugs. He arrives at the house and has a ghostly vision that he believes is a side-effect of the drugs he has taken. Later, he spots a ghost in the basement and witnesses a possessed Henry jump off the roof. Eric saves him.

The next day, Eric begins to conduct his assessment of Sarah's mental well-being. Sarah admits her fear of ghosts and believes she can help them move on. She reveals that she knows about Eric's drug problem and confiscates his supply of laudanum. That night, Eric witnesses a seemingly possessed Sarah draw a plan for a new room. He is startled by an entity and flees back to his room. The next day, Sarah shows Eric that she keeps records of people killed by Winchester rifles. It is revealed that Eric had actually been shot and killed by a Winchester rifle before being revived, and he keeps the refurbished bullet with him. Sarah explains how thirteen nails keep spirits sealed in rooms.

A possessed Henry attempts to kill Sarah with a rifle, but is stopped by Eric and Marion. Realizing how violent this spirit is, Sarah sends her staff away and decides to personally remove the ghost from her home. Eric encounters a butler who reveals himself to be a ghost. He and Sarah identify the ghost as Benjamin Block, a Confederate States Army soldier who lost his two brothers in the American Civil War, killed by Winchester rifles. A devastated Ben proceeded to shoot up a Winchester office, massacring the workers before being shot dead by police. Ben has been the one possessing Henry; the constructed room with the Winchester guns is the room where he was shot dead.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake takes place, devastating the house and separating Eric and Sarah. In the chaos, a possessed Henry escapes his room and is pursued by Marion. Eric encounters several ghosts before seeing the ghost of Ruby his wife. It is revealed that Ruby could see and hear ghosts but was misdiagnosed as "delusional" by Eric. Depressed that he would not believe her, the unstable Ruby shot Eric before killing herself with a Winchester rifle. Ruby's ghost comforts Eric, inspiring him to help Sarah. Eric reunites with Sarah and they manage to trap Ben in the room. Marion and Henry are cornered by Ben's brothers. Ben attempts to murder Sarah, but the pair realizes that Ben is scared of the bullet Eric kept. Eric has been able to see the ghosts in the house due to his dying from that bullet beforehand. Eric uses the bullet in the rifle that Ben used in the shooting and banishes him. Henry and Marion are saved and the other spirits return to their rooms.

Eric pronounces Sarah sane, allowing her to remain in control of the company. Sarah announces her intent to build more rooms to help more spirits. As the house is being repaired, the camera returns to view the hall of boarded up rooms and catches a nail falling out of one of the boards that is sealing a spirit in a room.

Cast

Production

In 2009, it was announced that a film would be made about the Winchester Mystery House. [5] Rights to the story were acquired by the Hammer Films division of Exclusive Media in 2012, with Imagination Design Works and Nine/8 Entertainment producing. [6] Michael and Peter Spierig were set as directors on May 10, 2016, with the pair also revising the script. [7] On May 14, Helen Mirren began finalizing a deal to star in the film as heiress Sarah Winchester, and filming was expected to start later in 2016, in San Jose, California and Australia. [8] In August 2016, CBS Films acquired distribution rights to the film, and production was pushed back to March 2017. [9] In September 2016, Jason Clarke entered negotiations to star in the film. [10] Sarah Snook and Angus Sampson joined the cast in March 2017, and filming commenced in Australia. [11] The film was originally going to be released on February 23, 2018, but the release date was moved up to February 2, 2018. [12]

Reception

Box office

Winchester grossed $25.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $20.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $46 million, against a production budget of $3.5 million. [2]

In the United States and Canada, Winchester was released on February 2, 2018, and was expected to gross $6–8 million from 2,480 theaters in its opening weekend. [13] It ended up debuting to $9.3 million, finishing third at the box office, behind holdovers Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Maze Runner: The Death Cure . [14]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a "Rotten" 13% rating based on 131 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Like a grand staircase within the famous mansion that inspired it, Winchester appears poised to get a rise out of audiences, but ultimately leads nowhere." [15] At Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 28 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [16] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. [14]

Variety 's Owen Gleiberman gave the film a negative review, writing, "Mirren does all she can to look like she’s having fun, but Winchester...[is] an empty grab bag of a spook show in which the Spierig brothers never do figure out a way to turn the Winchester Mystery House into an exhilarating movie set...". [17]

Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a mixed review, saying that "Winchester is a visual treat, its palette aglow with bronze and turquoise tints that suggest colorized Victorian postcards," but "it "promises more sophisticated shocks and psychological depths than it ultimately delivers." [18]

Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars, stating, "Winchester leveled my unfair expectations simply by being both silly and fun... what [it] lacks in originality its creators amply make up for in execution." He also stated that the dialogue was "enjoyable." [19]

In January 2019, it was nominated for several Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture and Worst Actress. [20]

Accolades

AwardCeremony dateCategorySubjectResultRef(s)
AACTA Awards 3 December 2018 Best Production Design Vanessa Cerne & Matthew PutlandNominated [21]
Best Costume Design Wendy Cork Nominated
Best Hair and Makeup Steve Boyle & Tess NatoliNominated
Golden Raspberry Awards February 23, 2019 Worst Picture Tim McGahan & Brett TomberlinNominated [22]
Worst Director The Spierig Brothers Nominated
Worst Actress Helen Mirren Nominated
Worst Screenplay The Spierig Brothers & Tom VaughanNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Mirren</span> English actor (born 1945)

Dame Helen Mirren is an English actor. She is the recipient of numerous accolades and is the only performer to have achieved both the American and the British Triple Crowns of Acting. Mirren has received an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for portraying the same character in The Audience, three British Academy Television Awards for her performance as DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Children's and Family Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Winchester</span> American heiress of William Wirt Winchester

Sarah Lockwood Winchester was an American heiress who amassed great wealth after the death of her husband, William Wirt Winchester, and her mother in law, Jane Ellen Hope. Her inheritance included $20 million as well as a 50% holding in the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which made her one of the wealthiest women in the world at the time.

Identical twin brothers Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig, known collectively as the Spierig Brothers, are German-Australian film directors, producers, and screenwriters. They are best known for their 2014 sci-fi thriller, Predestination.

<i>Everest</i> (2015 film) 2015 film directed by Baltasar Kormákur

Everest is a 2015 biographical survival adventure film directed and produced by Baltasar Kormákur and written by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy. It stars an ensemble cast of Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Martin Henderson and Emily Watson. It is based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, and focuses on the survival attempts of two expedition groups, one led by Rob Hall (Clarke) and the other by Scott Fischer (Gyllenhaal). Kormákur, Universal, Walden Media, Cross Creek and Working Title dedicated the film to the late British actress and Liam Neeson's late wife Natasha Richardson.

<i>Predestination</i> (film) 2014 film directed by the Spierig brothers

Predestination is a 2014 Australian science fiction action-thriller film written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, and Noah Taylor, and is based on the 1959 short story " '—All You Zombies—' " by Robert A. Heinlein.

<i>The Glass Castle</i> (2017 film) 2017 American drama film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

The Glass Castle is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Cretton, Andrew Lanham, and Marti Noxon. It is based on Jeannette Walls' 2005 best-selling memoir of the same name. Depicting Walls' childhood, where her family lived in poverty and sometimes as squatters, the film stars Brie Larson as Walls, with Naomi Watts, Woody Harrelson, Max Greenfield, and Sarah Snook in supporting roles.

<i>Fifty Shades Freed</i> (film) 2018 film directed by James Foley

Fifty Shades Freed is a 2018 American erotic romantic drama film directed by James Foley and written by Niall Leonard, and based on E. L. James's 2012 novel of the same name. It is the third and final installment in the Fifty Shades film series, following Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) and Fifty Shades Darker (2017). The film stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, respectively, and follows the couple as they marry, and must deal with Ana's former boss, who begins to stalk them.

<i>Mary Shelley</i> (film) 2017 period-drama film

Mary Shelley is a 2017 romantic period-drama film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour and written by Emma Jensen. The plot follows Mary Shelley's first love and her romantic relationship with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, which inspired her to write her 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. An international co-production, the film stars Elle Fanning as Shelley, with Maisie Williams, Douglas Booth, Bel Powley, and Ben Hardy in supporting roles.

<i>The Meg</i> 2018 film by Jon Turteltaub

The Meg is a 2018 science fiction action film directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, loosely based on the 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten. The film stars Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis. In the plot, a group of scientists encounters a 75-foot-long (23 m) megalodon shark while on a rescue mission on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

<i>Ouija: Origin of Evil</i> 2016 film by Mike Flanagan

Ouija: Origin of Evil is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed and edited by Mike Flanagan and written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard. The film is a prequel to the 2014 film Ouija and stars Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso, and Henry Thomas. A widow and her family introduce a Ouija board into their phony seance business, thereby inviting a spirit that possesses the youngest daughter.

<i>Mother!</i> 2017 film by Darren Aronofsky

Mother! is a 2017 American psychological horror film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky, and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, Brian Gleeson, and Kristen Wiig. It follows a young woman whose tranquil life with her husband at their country home is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious couple.

<i>Skyscraper</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Rawson Marshall Thurber

Skyscraper is a 2018 American action thriller film written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Produced by Legendary Pictures, Seven Bucks Productions and FlynnPictureCo., the film stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, Neve Campbell, Chin Han, Roland Møller, Noah Taylor, Byron Mann, Pablo Schreiber, and Hannah Quinlivan. In the film, Will Sawyer, a former FBI agent, must rescue his family from a newly built Hong Kong skyscraper, the tallest in the world, after terrorists set the building on fire in an attempt to extort the property developer. The first non-comedy of Thurber's career, it also marks his second collaboration with Johnson, following Central Intelligence (2016).

<i>Life of the Party</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Ben Falcone

Life of the Party is a 2018 American comedy film directed by Ben Falcone and written by Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. The film, starring McCarthy and Molly Gordon, follows a newly divorced mother who returns to college to complete her degree, and ends up bonding with her daughter's friends.

<i>The Leisure Seeker</i> 2017 film

The Leisure Seeker is a 2017 comedy-drama film directed by Paolo Virzì, in his first full English-language feature. The film is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Michael Zadoorian. It stars Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland, acting together for the first time since the 1990 film Bethune: The Making of a Hero. It was screened in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Mirren received a Golden Globe nomination for her work in the film.

<i>Death Wish</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Eli Roth

Death Wish is a 2018 American vigilante action thriller film directed by Eli Roth and written by Joe Carnahan. It is a remake of the 1974 film of the same name and a reboot of the Death Wish film series, based on Brian Garfield's 1972 novel. The film stars Bruce Willis as Paul Kersey, a Chicago doctor who sets out to get revenge on the men who attacked his family. Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Dean Norris, and Kimberly Elise also star.

<i>Slender Man</i> (film) 2018 American film

Slender Man is a 2018 American supernatural horror film directed by Sylvain White and written by David Birke, based on the character of the same name. The film stars Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Taylor Richardson, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso, and Alex Fitzalan with Javier Botet as the title character.

<i>Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again</i> 2018 musical film directed by Ol Parker

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a 2018 British-American jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, which in turn is based on the 1999 musical of the same name using the music of ABBA. The film features an ensemble cast, including Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Jeremy Irvine, Josh Dylan, Hugh Skinner, Lily James, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alexa Davies, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Andy García, Meryl Streep, and Cher. Both a prequel and a sequel, the plot is set after the events of the previous film, and is intersected with flashbacks to Donna's youth in 1979, with some scenes from the two time periods mirroring each other.

<i>The Miracle Season</i> 2018 American film directed by Sean McNamara

The Miracle Season is a 2018 American sports drama film directed by Sean McNamara and starring Erin Moriarty, Helen Hunt, William Hurt, and Danika Yarosh. The film is based on the true story of the Iowa City West High School volleyball team after the sudden death of the team's heart and leader, Caroline Found, in 2011. It was released in the United States on April 6, 2018. The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $10 million worldwide.

<i>Truth Seekers</i> 2020 comedy-horror series by Nick Frost

Truth Seekers is a 2020 British supernatural comedy horror streaming television series created by Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, James Serafinowicz, and Nat Saunders. The series was directed by Jim Field Smith and stars Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, with Emma D'Arcy, Samson Kayo, Julian Barratt, Susan Wokoma, and Malcolm McDowell in supporting roles.

The 42nd Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies, was an awards ceremony that honored the worst the film industry had to offer in 2021. It took place on March 26, 2022, in its traditional slot on the day before the Oscars. The awards were based on votes from members of the Golden Raspberry Foundation. The nominations were announced on February 7, 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 Winchester at Box Office Mojo
  2. 1 2 3 "Winchester". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Winchester (2018)". IMDb . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  4. ↑ Hutchinson, Corey (February 2, 2018). "Winchester: The Most Brutal Reviews Of Helen Mirren's New Horror Movie". Screen Rant . Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  5. ↑ D'Souza, Karen (June 2, 2009). "Winchester Mystery House to star in Hollywood movie". The Mercury News . Digital First Media . Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  6. ↑ McNary, Dave (July 24, 2014). "Winchester Mystery House Movie Attracts Spierig Brothers". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  7. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 10, 2016). "Michael & Peter Spierig To Helm Supernatural Thriller 'Winchester' – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  8. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 14, 2016). "Helen Mirren Takes Aim At Playing Firearm Heiress In Hot Cannes Package 'Winchester'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  9. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 8, 2016). "CBS Films Lands Haunted Gun Heiress Thriller 'Winchester' With Helen Mirren". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  10. ↑ Kroll, Justin (September 13, 2016). "Jason Clarke to Star Opposite Helen Mirren in Thriller 'Winchester' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  11. ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (March 15, 2017). "Sarah Snook & Angus Sampson Join Helen Mirren In 'Winchester'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  12. ↑ Busch, Jenna (October 11, 2017). "Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built Release Moved Up". ComingSoon.net. CraveOnline Media . Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  13. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 31, 2018). "Super Bowl Slowdown At The B.O. As CBS Films' Gun Heiress Pic 'Winchester' Takes Aim – Preview". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  14. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 4, 2018). "'Jumanji' Poised To Be Dwayne Johnson's Highest Grossing Pic Of All-Time Stateside After Super Bowl Weekend Rebound". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Winchester (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Winchester Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  17. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (February 1, 2018). "'Winchester' Review". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  18. ↑ Dalton, Stephen (February 1, 2018). "'Winchester': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  19. ↑ Abrams, Simon (February 2, 2018). "Winchester". RogerEbert.com . Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Worst Actress - Razzie Awards: 'Gotti,' 'Holmes & Watson' Among Nominees for Worst Picture". The Hollywood Reporter . 20 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  21. ↑ Winners & Nominees | AACTA
  22. ↑ "39TH Razzie Awards Announcement!". YouTube: Razzie Channel.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.