I love horror movies that are sinister, subtle, troubling and unnerving. Whilst I do have an appreciation of more visual, bloody horror, such as “Saw” and “Inside“, I usually opt for unusual, ghostly stories. When I was recommended “Livid” recently, I was intrigued. The cover art for this movie was already enough to grab my attention, and when I read the synopsis, I knew I had to give it a go.

The story centres around a care worker, Lucy, who is a care giver to an elderly woman who resides in an old, crumbling mansion in France. When Lucy discovers that the elderly woman possesses money and treasures locked away in the old house, she breaks in one night to try to find the hidden gems. It is during this night that Lucy comes across terrifying supernatural presences, ghostly interceptors and a girl that just won’t die….She has a night trapped in the house, with the ghosts that inhabit the property.

This film is French, with UK subtitles. The grim, grainy and dark quality to the film really captures the mood of the story as a whole. The acting is tight, making the unbelievable aspects to this story very believable. The film is an old-fashioned ghost story combined with visual effects that do not drag the audience into reality, but instead into a nightmare that feels every inch real.

The film simply worked for me. Dead ballet dancers. Ghostly shadows. Toys that seem to be alive. The dead that won’t rest. It’s simply delicious. A strong story, strong acting and a beautiful cast of actors really bring this enchanting story to life.

I have watched it once, but I know I shall be watching it again over Halloween. If my first reaction was the correct one, I can easily imagine it ranking amongst my favourite scary movies of all time.

Go on, buy a copy of the DVD, or spend a couple of quid and rent it on iTunes. It’s too good to miss.