John Carpenter's Films - Ranked From Worst To Best
14. The Ward (2010)
Pros: Carpenter's feature film return after nine years. His direction is assured and not as excessive as his most recent efforts. Amber Heard is great in the lead role
Cons: Familiar story. Too many cheap 'jump' scares. Sub-par special effects
Overall: Carpenter returned after a nine year absence from feature film direction with The Ward, a by-the-numbers psychological ghost story similar to Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island.
It's far from groundbreaking, as Carpenter looks to wet his feet a little after such a long layoff. But that's not to say the The Ward is bad or anything. It's not especially good, but it's way better than the critics would have you believe. It is atmospheric and the execution is good.
Yes, the character's are under-developed and the CGI again comes back to bite the director in the backside, but The Ward is tight formula fun.