The Turning Review: 3 Ups & 5 Downs

1. It Takes A Risk

Horror fans have been calling for original material for the past decade or so. They have made their frustrations clear with the endless remakes, reboots and overdone adaptations that nobody asked for, but it seems the studios aren't listening.

A modern day retelling of The Turn of the Screw is actually something that, in the right hands, could have worked. A pleasant surprise was the evidence that something a bit different had been attempted. While not in the least bit sucessful (really, not at all) a greater offense would have been to basically reproduce The Innocents with a fresh cast.

When an adaptation of a much loved literary work is released, any tweaks and liberties are met with whiny individuals complaining "ooh, but in the book..." No. A film should be watched in total isolation from its source material; an adaptation straying from its source is not reason enough alone to declare it a failure. The Turning is not a terrible film because it attempted something different - it's a terrible film because what it attempted didn't work.

On reflection, holding on to the period setting of the novella might have been a better idea than the 1990s setting- but still, my sentiment stands.