Variety
"...[Kevin Bacon gives an] exceptional performance....Koepp does a masterful job..." 8/23-29/1999 p.107Rolling Stone
"...Moments of chilling terror..." 9/30/1999 p.100 Total Film
"...Koepp's film is much more of a Hitchcock shocker than an out-and-out spook flick..." 06/01/2000 p.86 Film Comment
"...STIR OF ECHOES stays assuredly character-driven and admirably low-key in its shock effects..." 09/01/1999 p.78 Premiere
"...Thoroughly unnerving....Stark and harrowing..." - 3 out of 5 Stars 03/01/2000 p.95 Box Office
"...With strong performances, intriguing and sparingly used special effect and some highly original concepts....Rivetingly haunting..." 09/01/1999 p.138 USA Today
"...The economical, fast-paced style and creepy mood are reminiscent of THE TWILIGHT ZONE -- for good reason....David Koepp's thriller matches the eeriest moments of the classic TV series..." 09/10/1999 p.12E Chicago Sun-Times
"...Kevin Bacon stars in one of his best performances..." 09/10/1999 p.29 ReelViews 8 of 10
Stir of Echoes belongs to one of the oldest genres of horror films: the ghost story. And, unlike a multitude of subpar entries that have borne this appellation over the years, it's mostly effective. Like all good ghost stories, it understands that the intent is to build suspense through atmosphere and a strong narrative, not through a barrage of sudden shocks and copious gore. In fact, ghost stories are often at their strongest when they remain low key, trying to develop a vague sense of disquiet rather than striving for bone-chilling scares. The reason is quite simple - most movies that attempt the latter approach fail miserably at it, and end up looking campy, overwrought, or downright silly...The film is intelligent, but not so talky or esoteric that it could be labeled as an art house attraction. And, while Stir of Echoes isn't as downright disturbing as another Artisan release, The Blair Witch Project, it's still the kind of film that may give you pause the next time you walk into a dark room by yourself. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
"Stir of Echoes" is a supernatural thriller firmly rooted in a blue-collar Chicago neighborhood, where everyone on the block knows one another--although not as well as they think. Kevin Bacon stars in one of his best performances, as a telephone lineman named Tom Witzky, who plays in a band, wants to break out of the routine of his life and succeeds all too successfully...Kevin Bacon is sometimes able to suggest characters who are being driven mad by themselves. Here he implodes in a role where that's the right choice; another actor might have reached too far. Kathryn Erbe is not merely worried, but also exasperated by her husband, which is the right realistic touch, and Illeana Douglas plays the kind of sister-in-law who takes what you like in your wife and carries it too far...Fred Murphy's photography places these people in the real world, and there is one shot that's a stunner, starting with the lineman up on a pole making a call, and then pulling back until we see a vast Chicago River vista and no less than three L trains at the same time. - Roger Ebert
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