REVIEW: The Enfield Poltergeist [2023]

Rating: TV-MA | Episodes: 4 | Runtime: 60 minutes
Release Date: October 27th, 2023 (USA)
Studio: Apple TV+
Director(s): Jerry Rothwell
Writer(s): Claire Ferguson

What you’re about to hear is real.

You’d be forgiven for thinking the case of “The Enfield Poltergeist” was solely told from the perspective of Ed and Lorraine Warren since James Wan’s The Conjuring 2 centers them as the experts-of-record. Pop culture fiction has a way of obfuscating the truth like that—expanding a tangential relationship into something more significant to better suit the needs of those profiting off the story. That’s not to say the Warrens weren’t involved. They did visit 284 Green Street, but so did many others. Only Maurice Grosse (Christopher Ettridge) stayed the course.

In many ways, Jerry Rothwell’s four-part miniseries is about him more than the case, the house, or even the terrified Hodgson family. The latter are obviously crucial to the ordeal considering young Janet (Olivia Booth-Ford) seemed inextricably bonded with the spirit that used her body to speak, but they are as much a part of the setting as the furniture flying across the room. The reason is simple: no answers were ever found (how could they?). No evidence beyond first-hand testimony was collected. There were no film cameras on-site and “Bill” never took corporeal form. So, the Hodgsons were the spirit, and the spirit was them. The narrative thrust is thus Maurice’s determination to document it all.

And that he did with over 250-hours worth of audio recordings to go along with photographs, written diaries, and the words of others who took an interest. Rothwell meticulously uses that archival material to recreate scenes with impeccable detail as far as the soundstage and performances are concerned. The actors lip-synch their roles so that the dialogue heard is always the real thing. That is authentic fear in Janet’s voice and that of her family (mostly mother Peggy and sister Margaret). That is “Bill” barking, swearing, and calling them names. So, whether you believe the phenomenon itself is real or if what transpires has a logical explanation, these are the preserved recordings of actual events.

That is in and of itself a major draw for the program. It’s the reason it exists. Add a ton of new interviews with surviving participants and the result is undeniably the most extensive and exhaustive look at the case ever made for public consumption. And those interested in this particular haunting as well as those captivated by the supernatural in general should find a lot to absorb from the experience. Just don’t expect any clarity. The reason the description can promise “more questions than answers” is precisely because Rothwell’s documentary can’t do anything but reinforce the same questions that have been asked since 1977. “The Enfield Poltergeist” can do nothing but collect content and context.

While that’s reason enough to make it, however, I’m not so certain it demands four hours. There’s a lot of repetition as a result of splitting everything into a quartet of chapters—a lot of recapping to pad things out before moving onto something new. And despite the pointed titles, these episodes aren’t dealing with four different issues of the whole. Each simply chronologically follows the next while hiding a secret insofar as who Rothwell chooses to speak. Even though both Janet and Margaret are still alive and the definitive sources for what happened to them, the latter is held until episode three. The former until episode four.

I get why. It adds to the drama and alludes to bombshell revelations that Rothwell wants to build towards before hitting us with a cliffhanger of horror. But it’s all manufactured bluster. It’s all a choice to sell the promise of more insight when all we ever truly get is more information. And that’s why I say it’s mostly Maurice’s story that’s being told—especially once you discover his own unique connection to the case beyond just his involvement in investigating it. He is the one we see from start to finish. He’s the one the talking heads all fill in the blanks about. Not the house or the poltergeist itself, but Maurice’s unwavering belief in them.