Last fall I wrote an article on How To Get Your Baby In A Movie. Well the day has come for the movie my baby girl is in to come out.

Filmed last summer (2018) almost entirely in Frankfort, IL, which is just a few short miles from Tinley Park, the movie was a big deal for those of us who live in the Chicago southwest suburbs. Afterall, it’s not every day that a movie take place or is filmed near these parts.

The movie takes inspiration from the four-story Victorian house where it takes place. 207 Center Road has long been considered haunted, and for a long time it was abandoned. Ironically, the house was in the process of being renovated at the time, but the movie paused the renovations in order to use its incomplete state as part of the movie. The title of the movie references one of the ghosts that haunts the house, but you wouldn’t guess that from watching the movie. The movie keeps their gender of the ghosts, but that’s where the similarities end.

The movie tells the story of an attempt at a fresh start for a married couple. But being a horror movie you know it’s going to be disturbing. I avoid scary movies, especially horror movies, but since my daughter was in it I thought I should at least watch it once. Suprisingly I was able to stomach the gore and the scares. It’s really the last 40 minutes of the movie where the suspense ends and the horror happens. The end is of course our family’s favorite part because that’s where Eileah appears. It’s the bright spot of the film, but I do have some questions about the last shot. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out what I mean. But if you like spoilers, read Screenrants’s editor Hannah Shaw-Williams’ article Girl on the Third Floor’s Ending Explained.

I think the one thing that bothered me about the movie was how the ghosts were represented. This article tells the real story of the house and its ghosts. But I appreciate what the movie was trying to say about men, women, revenge, and forgiveness. The effects were awesome too, subtle but effective. And I think it’s fun for those of us who love downtown Frankfort to see recognizable spots in the film, like “We know that spot!” For me there are so many moments in the house I remember from our time inside filming, it’s like watching a vacation video at times. I wonder what my daughter Eileah will feel about being in a movie?

And who knows, a lot of movie stars had their first roles in horror/scary movies. Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Keira Knightley, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston… there are so many. Is it a rite of passage? Did this happy accident happen because my daughter will be destined for movie stardom? Whether she does or not, I’ll always love her. Being a movie star isn’t easy, so I think it’s better to have a calm, private, happy, healthy life.

Before I forget, I want to give a shout out to Trieste Kelly Dunn who plays Eileah’s mom in the movie, Liz. Not just for her performance but also how kind she was to Eileah and I on set.

While it’s not worth it to buy the movie I would rent it to see it once. Halloween is next week and it’s only fitting to watch at least one scary movie. But it’s definitely not a kids movie so please don’t show it to your kids until they’re maybe 16 years old. The movie is as of yet unrated.