Review: Gothic horror ‘The Suffering’ is short on shocks, cheap or otherwise

A pair of strong central performances and a tricky mystery give only a tiny boost to “The Suffering,” a slow-burning gothic horror picture that’s heavier on atmosphere than incident. Give credit to writer-director Robert Hamilton for trying something subtler than the average B-movie, but his film could’ve used a few more cheap shocks.

Nick Apostolides stars as Henry Dawles, a financially strapped young professional who agrees to live with a reclusive Southern gentleman named Mr. Remiel (Phil Amico) while he appraises the old man’s possessions.

Within days on the sprawling estate, Henry is seeing apparitions and experiencing unexplained physical injuries. With each new person — or ghost — that Henry meets, he draws closer to understanding what’s going on, and how it relates to his own troubled personal life.

Even with all the things going bump in the night, “The Suffering” never varies much in tone. It’s muted at the start and mostly stays that way, even when the hero is getting startled by monsters.

There’s a nice chemistry between Apostolides and Amico, who converse about life and history like two characters in a highbrow play. But there’s something a little off about a horror movie when a long chat about model trains is more gripping than any supernatural hoo-hah.

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“The Suffering”

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Playing: Arena Cinema, Hollywood