Stir of Echoes

1999 Horror

In this supernatural thriller, Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) is a fairly typical working-class guy living in Chicago with his wife Maggie (Kathryn Erbe) and his son Jake (Zachary David Cope). One night at a party, Tom gets into a lively discussion with his sister-in-law, Lisa (Illeana Douglas), who believes in psychic communication and the power of hypnosis. He challenges Lisa to hypnotize him, and she plants in him a post-hypnotic suggestion to be more open-minded. But the results aren't quite what Lisa or Tom expected; Tom now senses an air of terrible dread throughout his house and is convinced that evil lurks just around the corner. He also sees the spirit of a girl from the neighborhood who disappeared months ago -- and Jake sees the spirit as well. Stir of Echoes was based on a novel by Richard Matheson, whose work inspired such disparate films as Somewhere in Time and The Incredible Shrinking Man; it was written and directed by David Koepp, who wrote the screenplays for Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible. more..

Director: David Koepp

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Liza Weil, Kevin Dunn

Reviews

  • Stir of Echoes is much more down and dirty (than "The Sixth Sense"), and the thrills are more visceral.

    Bob Graham - The San Francisco Chronicle

    27 April 2013

  • Kevin Bacon stars in one of his best performances.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    27 April 2013

  • The economical, fast-paced style and creepy mood are reminiscent of "The Twilight Zone."

    Andy Seiler - USA Today

    27 April 2013

  • A horror movie with a Hitchcockian veneer of the everyday, a story that taps into our fear not only of the paranormal but also of insanity and the secret evil that may lie beneath ordinary lives.

    Michael Wilmington - The Chicago Tribune

    27 April 2013

  • Needs less down-to-earth flavor and more unearthly force.

    Jay Carr - The Boston Globe

    27 April 2013

Awards

  • David Koepp

    Gérardmer Film Festival (2000)

  • Best Movie

    International Horror Guild (2000)

  • National Board of Review (1999)

  • Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actor Age Ten or Under

    Young Artist Awards (2000)