Ghost Ship (2002)

(On DVD, January 2020) As far as horror films go, Ghost Ship exceeds modest expectations in a few significant ways. For one thing, it does start with a memorable sequence in which a snapped cable kills all the adults on an ocean liner dance floor. After that, we time skip and get a classic horror premise in slightly different clothes, as a salvage crew boards an old abandoned ship, then experiences numerous supernatural incidents. It’s all good genre fun all the way to the ending, which provides both an expiation and a stinger in quick succession. Director Steve Beck handles everything efficiently, with the highlight being a great exposition sequence three-quarter of the way through that takes place without dialogue. He’s also gifted with actors who understand the material they’re playing, with Julianna Margulies being a specific standout. The gore could have been turned down, though—the film has enough other things going on. Ghost Ship is not, to be clear, a great movie—but like a lot of perfectly decent genre films, it can be watched twenty years later with no big expectations and a sense of satisfaction when it delivers what it aims to.