Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- dread-filled
- oppressive
- late night horror viewing
- rainy night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an unnerving, dread-fueled old-school ghost story, while some felt its themes and finale lacked depth and impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David’s mounting paranoia and unraveling behavior leave both the spectral presence and his own perceptions under suspicion.
A reel discovered through David’s film-archiving work reveals that his house was the site of a brutal 1902 murder.
David’s suspicion that Alice is having an affair intensifies his fear of the haunting and complicates the investigation into her disappearance.
David’s house, once an ordinary residence, becomes the central locus of murder history and alleged supernatural activity.
Films like The Canal, and why
The Babadook
psychological haunted-house horror centered on grief, suspicion, and an unreliable-seeming protagonist
The Night House
dread-filled supernatural horror blending domestic trauma with ambiguity about reality
The Changeling
old-school atmospheric ghost story involving infidelity, historical violence, and escalating paranoia
Session 9
claustrophobic psychological horror in which a troubled protagonist investigates an ominous presence
Movie Details
- Director
- Ivan Kavanagh
- Release Date
- 2014-10-10
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (472)
Cast
- Rupert Evans
- Antonia Campbell-Hughes
- Hannah Hoekstra
- Steve Oram
- Kelly Byrne
- Serena Brabazon
- Anthony Murphy
- Calum Heath
- Paddy Curran
- Maura Foley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- AMC Plus Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Canal about?
- A film archivist investigating a century-old murder must convince police that his missing wife was claimed by a haunting rather than killed by him.
- What is The Canal like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Canal as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Canal violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Canal as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Canal?
- Critics generally found the film an unnerving, dread-fueled old-school ghost story, while some felt its themes and finale lacked depth and impact.
- Which films are like The Canal?
- Films with a similar feel include The Babadook, The Night House, The Changeling, and Session 9.
- How long is The Canal?
- The Canal runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Canal?
- In United States, The Canal streams on AMC Plus Apple TV channel.
