Watch Stir of Echoes

Stir of Echoes is a mystery/thriller film from 1999, directed by David Koepp and starring Kevin Bacon, Zachary David Cope, and Kathryn Erbe. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, who is known for his contributions to the science fiction and horror genres. The story revolves around Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon), a middle-aged man who lives with his wife Maggie (Kathryn Erbe) and their son Jake (Zachary David Cope) in a quiet Chicago suburb. Tom works as a telephone lineman and is a skeptical, no-nonsense kind of guy who doesn't believe in anything supernatural.

At a party one night, Tom's sister-in-law Lisa (Illeana Douglas) hypnotizes him for fun, but something strange happens. Though he doesn't remember it at first, Tom starts experiencing disturbing visions and hearing voices in his head. He becomes obsessed with finding out what happened during the hypnosis and why it's affecting him so deeply.

As the movie progresses, Tom's visions become more vivid and intense, and he starts to see ghosts and apparitions. He's convinced that he's being haunted and starts investigating the history of his house and the people who lived there before him. He discovers that a young girl who lived in the house before them disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and he becomes convinced that her spirit is trying to communicate with him.

Tom's behavior becomes erratic as he becomes more and more obsessed with the haunting. He alienates his family and friends, who think he's losing his mind. His wife Maggie is especially worried, as it becomes clear that Tom's mental state is deteriorating.

The tension builds to a climactic ending as Tom races against time to try to solve the mystery of the disappearance and lay the ghost to rest. The final scenes are intense and thrilling, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.

Overall, Stir of Echoes is a well-crafted thriller that keeps viewers guessing until the very end. Kevin Bacon delivers a strong performance as a man struggling with his sanity, and the supporting cast is also excellent. The script is well-written and keeps the audience engaged throughout, even if the pacing can be a bit slow at times.

The film's visuals also contribute to its success, with eerie and disorienting camera work that adds to the atmosphere of unease. The special effects are effective but not overdone, which helps keep the story grounded in reality.

One weakness of the movie is that it relies heavily on the tropes of the genre, and some viewers may find the plot predictable. Additionally, the supernatural elements of the story may not be convincing to skeptics who don't believe in ghosts or psychic phenomena.

Despite its flaws, however, Stir of Echoes is an engaging thriller that will keep viewers entertained and on the edge of their seats. Its well-drawn characters and strong performances elevate it above many other horror movies of its era, and it's definitely worth a watch for fans of the genre.

Stir of Echoes is a 1999 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9 and a MetaScore of 67.