--- title: "The Ghoul: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-ghoul/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-ghoul" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Ghoul (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 9 reviews: 4 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics are warm towards Gareth Tunley’s debut, if rarely effusive: four positive notices, four mixed and one negative. The praise clusters on Tom Meeten’s brooding, understated lead performance, which several reviews credit with keeping a slippery story grounded, and on Paul Kaye’s late-night monologue, which even the harshest review calls beautifully delivered. The atmosphere draws consistent approval, as does the film’s blurring of investigation, therapy and delusion against London’s streets. Tunley is widely marked as one to watch. Where they part is the plotting. Sight and Sound and Variety find the convolutions reward a second viewing; The Hollywood Reporter finds the screenplay too slight and cryptic to pay off its promise, and HeyUGuys says the final act frustrates. Empire concedes the austere approach will not suit everyone. The spread is wide, from 85 down to 40, and the lone dissenter is Little White Lies, which calls it a noble failure with contrived plotting and a hollow emotional core. ## Sight and Sound — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 August 2017. Bitel finds the film an impressively melancholic, brain-bending tragedy whose convolutions reward repeat viewings. He praises its inventive interweaving of reality and delusion, heightened by London’s labyrinthine streets and buildings. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-ghoul-twists-two-warped-tales-into-one) ## The Guardian — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2017. Wendy Ide finds the film a brilliantly perplexing, unsettling psychological thriller. She singles out Paul Kaye’s electrifying monologue and the off-kilter therapy sessions for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/aug/06/the-ghoul-observer-review) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2017. Newman finds the film powerful, disturbing and intense, while acknowledging its austere approach will not appeal to everyone. He singles out Tom Meeten’s intense performance and Gareth Tunley’s ambitious filmmaking for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ghoul-2-review/) ## Variety — Catherine Bray Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2016. Festival review. Bray finds the film an auspicious, haunting debut whose psychological twists reward repeat viewing. She praises Tom Meeten’s understated performance for keeping the story grounded while concealing its stranger direction. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/the-ghoul-review-1201906229/) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 3/5. Parkinson finds the film an unsettling, unconventional take on a police procedural. He highlights how its investigation blurs the boundaries between fantasy and reality. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-0hg7tk/the-ghoul/) ## Time Out — Anna Smith Rating 3/5. 25 July 2017. The critic finds the film an intriguing, ambitious thriller with a surreal story that keeps viewers guessing. She praises its assured debut filmmaking and its ability to mark Gareth Tunley as one to watch. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-ghoul-1) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Dalton Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2017. Dalton finds the film an effective but ultimately incomplete exercise in suspense, too slight and cryptic to deliver on its mind-bending promise. He praises its steadily building atmosphere and Tom Meeten’s brooding performance, while faulting the screenplay for leaving too many questions unanswered. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ghoul-review-1028772/) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/2/2. 4 August 2017. Jenkins calls the film a noble failure, criticizing its contrived plotting and hollow emotional core. He singles out Paul Kaye’s midnight monologue as a compelling, beautifully delivered highlight. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-ghoul) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds the ambitious debut intriguing and atmospheric, though its cryptic final act and straight-faced tone can frustrate. Tom Meeten’s complex lead performance is singled out for praise, alongside Alice Lowe’s tender scenes with him. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-ghoul-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-ghoul.md