Julia (Mia Farrow) wakes up one morning to have breakfast with her husband and only daughter, Katie. While eating, Katie begins to choke on her food, and Julia and her husband attempt to prevent her from choking. Sadly they are unsuccessful, and Katie dies on the kitchen floor. Given the trauma of losing her daughter, Julia moves to London alone, leaving her husband behind. Julia feels that moving away is the best thing for her. On the other hand, Julia’s husband feels she needs professional help and care to deal with the recent loss and trauma.
In London, Julia purchases a new home that is elegant, beautiful, and, more importantly, peaceful. She feels she couldn’t ask for anything more to help her move forward with her life. However, not long after settling in, Julia begins to experience several strange and unexplainable visions. Is Julia seeing visions of her own daughter, or is there something else lurking around her new home? Julia begins to get spiritual wisdom, setting her on a journey to fully understand the presence that lingers around her.
The Haunting of Julia is best described as a horror film with solid mystery aspects. Naturally, given the film’s gripping opening, there are strong dramatic vibes, particularly as Julia attempts to move forward with her life. The atmosphere of Julia’s world, including her new home, is terrific and filled with many haunting and ghostly experiences. The mystery aspect comes into play when Julia begins seeing disturbing and unexplainable things in her home and sometimes when she goes outside. Viewers will be highly invested in why this presence attempts to connect to Julia through visions. The reveals throughout are filled with surprise.
Mia Farrow is great as Julia, and the supporting cast of Mark Berkeley as Tom, one of Julia’s close friends, is also lively on-screen. More impressive is the Director’s work here. It’s impossible for viewers not to be impressed or amazed by the highly creative ideas and Director Richard Loncraine’s style throughout. One example is the clever use of mirrors featured in many scenes. The audio track, including the soundtrack by Colin Towns, plays a decisive aspect in creating the film’s unsettling tone and provides a pleasing level of creepiness.
Overall, if you are seeking an old fashion ghost story, The Haunting of Julia / Full Circle is worth your viewing time. The film begins with drama, heartbreak and trauma that set the leading character on a mysterious and creepy journey. The atmosphere is outstanding and filled with unsettling tones and cleverness, along with high amounts of creativity in the filming style from Director Richard Loncraine. As the credits rolled, the journey left a strong, lasting impression and left me feeling both heavy-hearted and deeply amazed.
8.3/10
13th August 2023
Written by Peter Walkden
WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT
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