It’s territory to which Natali has now returned with Haunter. The plot and the genre trappings are different, but that basic isolated concept is, once again, central. The last couple of years have seen him heading for adaptations of William Gibson’s Neuromancer (possibly now abandoned) and JG Ballard’s High Rise (now underway with Ben Wheatley directing), but his path seems inexorably to have lead him to another homestead removed mysteriously from reality. Natali isn’t this film’s screenwriter (it stems from Brian King, who also wrote Natali’s Cypher), but it’s clear what attracted him. Such a small, tightly focused film stands or falls on its writing and performances, so it’s a great strength that the characters are well drawn and well played. Breslin, who’s in practically – if not literally – every scene, confidently and seemingly effortlessly carries the narrative: juggling frustration, anguish, pissed-off determination and even some humour as she endures repeated supernatural moments and turns goth Nancy Drew to battle evil. She’s given excellent support by Michelle Nolden and Peter Outerbridge as Lisa’s parents, and a strong antagonist in the always-reliable Stephen McHattie, recently seen on the other side of the law in Pascal Laugier’s The Tall Man. The cinematography and production design are also top notch. Peter Cosco’s house and Jon Joffin’s beautifully atmospheric images give Haunter the sheen of a classic ghost story: there are nods to The Haunting and The Innocents, and reminders of Alejandro Amenabar’s The Others, which reverently pastiched both. The period setting also helps, although Haunter replaces decayed Victoriana with the 1980s, giving Breslin a Siouxsie t-shirt and Bauhaus posters. Lisa’s first visit to 2013, in a brilliant touch, is presented as a trip to a gleaming sci-fi future of impossibly advanced technology. We forget we live there sometimes. The ending, without going into details, also feels conservative (you might even say twee) and undermines both Breslin’s edgy heroine and some early scenes that amusingly eviscerated her rote family life. In many ways it’s probably best viewed as a kids’ film. It’s a very good one: a handsome and classy Goosebumps instalment that may well grip younger viewers. But it’s a pretty mild hundred minutes for more seasoned audiences. Haunter is available on DVD and Blu-ray now.