REVIEW - Ghosts Moving Flowers and Physical Mediumship (Directed by Karl Fallon)

In recent years there has been a huge increase in the popularity of TV ghost hunting shows, and shows with a focus on subjects of the supernatural and the paranormal on both sides of the pond, with shows like Ghost Adventures and Help! My House is Haunted spawning multiple series, and even celebrity specials, so this interesting documentary directed by Karl Fallon (Real Ghosts UK, Ghostcircle) should be well placed to capitalise on this growing interest.

Ghosts Moving Flowers and Physical Mediumship is presented by author and psychic-medium Patrick McNamara (Real Ghosts UK, Ghostcircle) who wastes no time in setting the scene and gets stuck straight into conveying and describing various paranormal beliefs he claims to have, as well as possible theories about interacting with spirits. Viewers are then treated to lots of segments filmed in low resolution night-vision, showing people sat in circles, holding flowers, with the hope that ghosts would move them.

It all seems very reminiscent of various depictions of seance-type activities that became popular in the Victorian era, such as table-turning and ouija boards (both of which are a lot more visually impressive than a rotating flower) - and unfortunately my BS meter went off the charts immediately, which is a real shame, because so much of the film to follow is based on these fringe ideas, with only the flimsiest of evidence to support the bold claims being made - claims which were even debunked when first popularised in the 1800s by Michael Faraday, who was able to demonstrate that the ideomotor effect was responsible for inanimate objects moving in these circumstances - sentiments famously reiterated in the modern era by the likes of Derren Brown.

In terms of film grammar, close-up shots are over-used; traditionally close-up shots are used to denote significance, but here even the framing of the host is so tight we lose the top of his head in many scenes. These tight shots and close-ups are used so frequently however, even during apparent demonstrations of paranormal activity - and sceptics will surely argue that this could have been done deliberately so that viewers cannot see what is going on elsewhere in the room - opening the door for potential trickery and use of smoke and mirrors. Using wider shots and multiple cameras in locked-off positions would have been an improvement and might have gone some way to draw less attention from sceptics and would-be debunkers.

At the off, this showed all the promise of giving the viewer a spooky, yet educational insight into the world of the weird; and while there certainly are some entertaining aspects to this, it does fall a long way short of achieving its optimum in this regard, which means that sadly it doesn't come close to competing with the many entertaining TV shows about the paranormal which can be found on mainstream channels, and that includes those shows which try to take a more logical and analytical approach like BBC's new show Uncanny. Perhaps focusing on the idea of ghosts moving flowers alone, is a tad too specific, and limits options for on-screen variety, and this combined with other production and budget constraints gives this a very amateur flavour overall.

Despite that, Ghosts Moving Flowers and Physical Mediumship is a fun documentary which, if not taken too seriously, will be enjoyed by people with a love of the paranormal, particularly ghosts and hauntings, but it does lack the production values necessary to garner a broader, more commercial appeal.