Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
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A man inherits a mansion containing imprisoned ghosts and must navigate a deadly mechanism to protect his children.
The story
Ghost hunter Cyrus Kriticos and his psychic assistant, Dennis Rafkin, lead a specialized team on a mission to capture a spirit in a junkyard. After the capture, Cyrus' nephew Arthur, a widower, inherits Cyrus' mansion. Financially insecure, Arthur moves there with his two children and their nanny. Dennis, posing as an electrical technician, joins them at the mansion. The structure is made of glass panels inscribed with protection spells. Dennis discovers that twelve ghosts are imprisoned in the basement. When a mechanism is triggered, the house is sealed and the ghosts are released, forcing the family to confront the supernatural threat within the walls.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a ghost hunter's team captures twelve spirits, his nephew Arthur inherits a mansion where the ghosts are imprisoned. Arthur moves in with his children and a nanny, while the assistant, Dennis, joins them. The house is a machine that can see the past, present, and future, powered by the captive ghosts. A spirit liberator, Kalina, reveals that a thirteenth ghost from a sacrifice of pure love can shut the machine down. Arthur believes he must become this sacrifice to save his children. However, it is revealed that the hunter, Cyrus, is alive and has conspired with Kalina to use the machine. During a confrontation, Cyrus kills Kalina and releases the ghosts. Arthur and Dennis enter the basement to find the children. Dennis is killed by a ghost. In the main hall, Arthur faces Cyrus and the ghosts. A struggle ensues, and the machine malfunctions. The ghosts seize Cyrus, and he is destroyed by the machine. Arthur successfully protects his children as the house's walls shatter and the ghosts depart.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States; Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steve Beck
- Writers
- Neal Marshall · screenplay; Stevens · screenplay; Richard D'Ovidio · screenplay; Robb White · story
- Cast and characters
- Tony Shalhoub; Embeth Davidtz; Matthew Lillard; Shannon Elizabeth; Alec Roberts; Rah Digga; F. Murray Abraham
- Genres
- supernatural horror
- Themes
- sacrifice; protection
- Tone and mood
- supernatural; tense
- Setting
- A mansion with a basement containing imprisoned ghosts.
- Premise and plot tags
- haunted house; ghost hunting; inheritance
- Source material / true-story basis
- 13 Ghosts (1960 film)
- Content notes
- strobe effects
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, though the production design was praised. It has since gained a cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 19% · scale: percentage · review count: 96; Metacritic · score: 30 · scale: 100 · review count: 24; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was a remake of a 1960 film.; James Gunn performed uncredited rewrites.; Some reshoots were filmed during September 11, 2001.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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