A mainstay of the genre festival scene, Graham Skipper is a remarkable talent – an accomplished performer who left a firm impression in the likes of Bliss (2019), Suitable Flesh (2023) and The Leech (2022), The Lonely Man with the Ghost Machine is his latest directorial work, following on from Sequence Break (2017). And as with that 2017 work, it’s another sci-fi delve into transcending the limits of our physical being.
Skipper plays the titular figure, perhaps the final person on Earth after a global catastrophe. He is haunted by the loss of his wife, who he can conjure into being with the Ghost Machine, and confronted by a luxuriously voiced unseen stranger, who comes to him late at night and laces danger with pleasantries.
The Lonely Man with the Ghost Machine is a fascinating work, a heart-felt piece that feels comfortable exploring the grey areas that come in difficult circumstances. Modest in scope and budget, the film is at its best as a testament to Skipper’s skills. A bracingly unvarnished performance at the centre of his own work, his directorial eye behind the camera is equally impressive, weaving a compelling tale.
The supporting turns are limited but interesting, particularly Paul Guyet’s voice-behind-the-door. Guyet’s intonations are fascinating, compelling, funny and frightening. It’s a shame that, for the most part, Christina Bennett Lind’s mute figure feels like it undersells the performer’s talents. There are moments where Lind excels, particularly in flashbacks, but one can’t help but wish there was more for her to do.
Brisk in running time, The Lonely Man still can’t help but feel stretched in its telling, with a narrative that probably best fits a beefed-up short. There are one too many visitations before the film can reach its finale and pull the rug from under its audience. Skipper is a terrifically inventive director, but it must be said the ambitions of the finale are curtailed by the modest reality of this work. But if it doesn’t quite all pull together, The Lonely Man with the Ghost Machine is a fascinating work with much to say about the human condition.
3.5 Screams out of 5
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