If you’re looking for a horror film that has a good story, then Lights Out is the film for you. The directorial debut of a full length film for David F. Sandberg, with mastermind producer James Wan behind the film, which was actually found by fellow producer Lawrence Grey, Lights Out is sure to be the next big summer horror flick. Starring Teresa Palmer and Maria Bello, the film follows the story of a broken family. Palmer is the estranged daughter, Rebecca, who has no wish to have a relationship with her unstable mother, but when she gets a call from her younger step-brother Martin’s school, she has to face the past. Their mother Sophie is struggling with the recent death of her husband and has a strange visitor every night who does not mean well for Martin. This visitor is her childhood friend Diana, a ghost that wants nothing to get in the way of her relationship with Sophie.

The beauty of this film is it not only thrills you with the typical jumps and scares of a horror film, but it also frightens you on a psychological level. We all have crazy relatives, but what happens when that crazy goes too far? In this case, Rebecca believes that her mother is losing it and Martin isn’t safe, so she’s stepping in to hopefully save Martin from the struggles she had growing up. This film is very much a family drama, mixed with the horror, which gives the film a very unique and amazing feel.

As a horror fan, I truly enjoyed Lights Out, even the moments that might be said to be predictable. The family drama of the film draws the viewer in and gets them invested in the outcome of this family and makes you want them to win, rather than the ghost that is haunting them. A ghost, we might add, that doesn’t prey on just anyone, it sticks close to home and preys on only those that are relevant victims, which is nice in this case because when the ghosts begint to attack everyone they can, it gets a little silly and redundant.

You won’t want to miss seeing Lights Out in theaters today! But be prepared to sleep with the lights on, because you’ll definitely be spooked.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures