Widow’s Point (2019)

Directed by: Gregory Lamberson | 90 minutes | drama, horror | Actors: Craig Sheffer, KateLynn E. Newberry, Dominic Luongo, Kaelin Lamberson, John Renna, Richard Satterwhite, Michael Thurber, Willow Anwar, Kim Piazza, Paul McGinnis, Amy Hoffman, Billy Chizmar, Constance Caldwell, Bob Rusch, Sam Qualiana, Kyle Mecca, Michael O’Hear, Bill Brown, Alexander S. McBryde

Stephen King has become world famous with his oeuvre. The writer knows how to write a haunting cocktail of drama and horror and that scores. Also in Hollywood. Many of King’s books have been made into films. With varying degrees of success. Authors are also inspired by this celebrity writer. For example, ‘Widow’s Point’ is a King inspired book written by Richard Chizmar. This novel fell into the hands of a studio boss and soon the plan was conceived to make this ghost story into a movie. Not a very good idea turns out…

‘Widow’s Point’ revolves around Thomas Livingston (Craig Sheffer). This author yearns for success to ensure his status as a top writer. His career has not been going too well in recent years. Livingston decides to spend the weekend locked up in a lighthouse. This building is haunted and to generate some extra attention for his new novel, a sleepover in an alleged haunted house seems like a fun plan. It turns out to be a bad plan, because the ghosts in the lighthouse are not waiting for a publicity-hungry writer.

A writer who finds himself in tricky situations: an idea that King likes to describe. These stories spawned a spate of films such as ‘Misery’ (writer is threatened by mad fan), ‘Secret Window’ (author is accused of plagiarism by weirdo), ‘1408’ (author locks up in haunted hotel and faces his past ) and ‘The Dark Half’ (writer’s character comes to life). ‘Widow’s Point’ evokes strong memories of ‘1408’, but never reaches the level of the film. That is due to the weak direction and the uninterested cast.

Sheffer clearly doesn’t feel like it and that is disastrous for a man who has to carry the film. If the protagonist sees no salvation in a film, the omens are not too good. Livingston is an unsympathetic character who grants you anything but a happy life. The weak tension and ditto special effects do not make it any better. Stick to the book (or better yet, King’s books). This superfluous film adaptation is doomed to the bottom shelves of the digital video library or to programming in the late hours. Deadly boring.