Haunting on a ship famed for ghost stories and paranormal activities, in reality, blended with a dark and bloody tale from the 1930s should translate into a cinematically rich narrative. And it does in director Garey Shore’s British horror outing. The visually-riveting movie builds a deeply dark and mysterious ambience harking back to 1938 when a fortune teller Gwen Ratch (Nell Hudson), her husband, David Ratch (Wil Coban), and their daughter are aboard The Queen Mary for Halloween. But the trip turns mysteriously sinister and violently gory. The narrative then jumps to contemporary times when another family, photographers Anne Calder (Alice Eve) and Patrick Calder (Joel Fry), and their son, Lucas (Lenny Rush), are brought aboard the ill-fated vessel. A series of similarly violent events unfolds, and the couple finds itself digging deeper into a legacy of bloody secrets. Flitting between the present and the past is not a fresh concept, and the overall story by Tom Vaughan is a tad cliched, too. But the film recreates the bygone era with incredible mastery, with costumes, makeup and art direction that’s on-point. However, the timelines' rapid transition is disjointed and often gets confusing to keep track of. As a result, the film’s overall flow suffers. While the characters, decks, and corridors from the past appear genuinely spooky, the story in the present relies more on jumpscares and gore. The plot is also infused with psychological elements, which add thrill to the story. The Queen Mary uses music splendidly—from jazz to tap dance and especially Tiffany Ashton’s “It Had to Be You”—a hauntingly delicious melody that the movie ends with. Nell Hudson and Wil Coban, as the couple from the historical era, do justice to their characters. The latter, especially, deserves mention for his acting prowess despite his face being hidden behind a mask. Alice Eve and Joel Fry also deliver powerful performances, though they would have benefited from better character development. Lenny Rush stands out, too. The film’s other notable performers include Jim Piddock as Captain Carradine and Angus Wright as an arrogant rich man, Victor. While 'The Queen Mary' has used the ship’s long history as one of the most haunted places in the world and does well as a period drama, it lacks in the storytelling department, which could have been as intriguing as the vessel’s background and legacy. However, you will be in for a treat as far as the overall visual appeal and ambience go.Read more