Chace Crawford - a Hollywood name if ever there was one - plays Jacob Martin, a young man whose father has just passed away, leaving him $1.2 million. However, to avoid seven years of red tape regarding getting his hands on the money, he has to prove the death of his Aunt Genevieve (Nicole Forester),whowas committed to an asylum, and whose death certificate is held there.

Now, this is really just a convoluted way of giving 'a group of friends' a reason to break into and explore a spooky, abandoned medical facility late one stormy night. I'm quite happy with the fact that the actual reason for them being there doesn't survive much probing, because the location is very creepy, and the cinematography really enhances that. Equally, the incidental score and sound design plays a huge part - in fact, Ronan Lander's music might be my favourite aspect of the production. The storyline is pretty confusing, but again, I like something that requires the audience pays attention, even in this case, attention might not be enough to make sense of it all.

SPOILERS - Years ago, Jacob's aunt was admitted to the asylum for her worsening schizophrenic outbursts. Flashbacks that seem to emanate from the building itself inform Jacob (and us) she was actually made pregnant by Robert Patrick's pioneering but evil Doctor Greiss (either after her incarceration or before, this is not made clear) and to keep the liaison secret, the doctor orders the child destroyed. However, the child is rescued and allowed to escape the hospital, and grows up ... to be Jacob. On returning to the asylum at his father's last wish, Jacob is seemingly killed (we last see him being incarcerated in a morgue drawer, gagged so 'he doesn't wake the dead'),which somehow negates the child's existence, or at very least, gets rid of the problem. There, is that clear? I haven't made any kind of study of this, but that is my take on a story that leaves a lot to interpretation. Again, I have no problem with that approach, but there is a lot to take in here. For example, the room full of containers full of ashes, some of which are spilled, has some significance. As does the somnambulistic vagrant man who appears a couple of times. As does the nature of the seemingly shifting time lines. Answers on a postcard please ...!

The fact that I am still trying to puzzle out some of these moments, and the fact that I will inevitably watch this again indicates that I care enough about 'Eloise', and I did enjoy the murky nature of the story-telling. Even the characters, who appear dull and unappealing at the beginning, grew on me. I'm giving this a 7 out of 10.

'Eloise' drew me into seeing it, with a cool poster, an intriguing idea and as someone with a general appreciation for horror. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive.

Watching 'Eloise', it was yet another film to waste potential and be pretty underwhelming, its worst elements being pretty awful, with a lot more wrong than right. 'Eloise' is not great, or good, has a fair share of problems (fairly big ones too) and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There are however a few decent, even good, qualities in 'Eloise'.

Lets start with the positives. The scenery is atmospheric, likewise with the very nice way it's shot. The music is suitably spooky and quirky and doesn't distract at all from the atmosphere, while not exactly enhancing it.

Acting is better than average, the first third was promising and a few scares are effective.

However, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it feels vague, under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less scary. Too many characters are too sketchy and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their irritating and illogical decision making and behaviours insult the intelligence. Too many things don't add up and should have been resolved much better or made more cohesive. Making the film feel bland, muddled and forgettable with not enough heart put into it.

Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace is uneven, dragging in a lot of the second half and never is it exciting. Found too many the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the supposedly creepy atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness and the lack of tension and suspense. The last third badly sags in momentum and the atmosphere completely falls flat.

Overall, underwhelmingly mediocre but could have been much worse. 4/10 Bethany Cox

First, let me say I am not a horror film aficionado. I do not watch them, period. However I am extremely interested in urban exploration of abandoned mental hospitals. That is what peeked my interest initially.

The story line is your basic way to get into these abandoned hospitals, then the visions and hysteria that accompanies infiltration once there. I agree the acting left a lot to be desired, but I think the strength of the movie lies in the depiction of suspended reality. Which is real and which is imagined scenes? The film left me a bit unbalanced as I watched the 4 struggle with their own fears while in the very secret, very restricted annex.

Did anybody get the homeless guy? Well, I thought about him for awhile, then concluded he was the infamous Dr. H.H. Greiss in the flesh looking for a part of his life that was taken away from him. Watch this part carefully and see if you don't agree. I thought the plot twist at the end regarding the true relationships from the past was sheer genius, including that of Jacob and Dr. Greiss. Once again, having read the previous reviews, you should bypass the horror aspect and look at it from the perspective of hidden lives that were never fully buried.

The beginning shows Pia in some sort of room. Was that a modern version of Eloise? Was it jail, what was it? In the end they go back to the room with Pia. I liked that full circle inference and the parallel to what the patients of Eloise may have experienced. It depicts being unhinged in what seems to be a reality you are lost in, when no one believes what you have seen. Was the whole affair nothing but a figment of Pia's broken brain? Hmm, did she create the sketches, the receipts, the entire story because she was crazy and had been part of Eloise as a child, then locked away in an asylum for life, where she could only create a normal life by living in her head, but not really living it?

As horror, it left much to be desired. However, the story told may not be what you think, or maybe it is. You decide.