An excuse in church bashing presented in the form of a lifeless haunted house movie, the only thing scary about The Banishing is its ability to evoke yawns instead of screams.

Like most haunted house movies, The Banishing is supposedly based on a true story. This time it is the legendary Bowery Manor, which was once dubbed the “most haunted house in Britain”. Of course, no proof exists to back this up, save for centuries of hearsay drummed up by all matter of spiritualist and the like.

Director Chris Smith (Triangle) has taken the opportunity to use the Bowery Manor haunting as commentary on his very apparent dislike of Christianity. Throughout the films 97 minute runtime, every clergy character is presented as either emotionally and sexually repressed, sadistic murderers of women, or complicit in the rise of the Nazi Party in Europe. In The Banishing, it’s the spectre of Christianity that we have to fear.

Set in early days of World War II, The Banishing begins with Anglican priest Linus Forster (John Heffernan), along with his newly wed wife Marianne (Jessica Brown Findlay) and her daughter Adelaide (Anya McKenna-Bruce), moving into the Bowery Manor. Linus is the new vicar of a depleted parish, yet unbeknownst to him and his family, the manor is haunted by a dark presence that drove the previous vicar to do murder most brutal.

The only two people who know the truth is auxiliary Bishop Malachi (John Lynch), who harbours sinister intentions, and eccentric occultist Harry Reed (Sean Harris) whose taste for theatrics and drink is matched by his distaste for the Church.

Smith utilises many haunted house tropes – creepy dolls, bumps in the night, menacing hooded figures – yet fails to do anything interesting or effective with them. The Banishing instead becomes an even scarier experience: a social message diatribe about the evils of Christianity upon women. Cue those before mentioned hooded figures, long deceased Catholic monks who tortured and murdered women in the catacombs underneath the manor. Of course, there is no historical context to this at all, yet since when has that stopped movies like these?

Performances are a mixed bag. Heffernan does nothing more than whimper and scour throughout; Findlay brings some emotional depth and sensuality to an otherwise placid film; and Lynch suitably disturbs as the menacing Bishop who knows everything about everyone. The Banishing will be remembered most for Sean Harris and his suitably scene-stealing showcase as Harry Reed, the flaming red haired pagan occultist who gives The Banishing a pulse whenever he is on screen.

A haunted house film that looks the part yet lacks scares or substance, The Banishing is sure to especially appeal to those who share its anti-Christian bigotry.