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Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Liza Weil, Kevin Dunn ... see more see more... , Conor O'Farrell , Jenny Morrison , Zachary David Cope , Lisa Lewis , Eddie Bo Smith Jr. , Kevin Scott Greer

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 ... read more read more...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. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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68% liked it

62,364 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

103 critics

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: David Koepp

Release Date: September 10, 1999

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DVD Release Date: August 21, 2001

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Stats: 2,784 reviews

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Larry Neumann Jr. as Lenny in Stir of Echoes (1999) Jennifer Morrison [ghost] of Samantha Kozac in Stir of Echoes (1999) Scenes from Stir of Echoes (1999) Kathryn Erbe as Maggie Witzky in Stir of Echoes (1999) Kathryn Erbe as Maggie Witzky, Kevin Bacon as Tom Witzky in Stir of Echoes (1999) Jennifer Morrison [ghost] of Samantha Kozac in Stir of Echoes (1999) Jennifer Morrison [ghost] of Samantha Kozac in Stir of Echoes (1999) Kathryn Erbe as Maggie Witzky, Kevin Bacon as Tom Witzky and Zachary David Cope as Jake Witzky in Stir of Echoes (1999) Zachary David Cope as Jake Witzky in Stir of Echoes (1999) Stir of Echoes Zachary David Cope as Jake Witzky in Stir of Echoes (1999) Kevin Bacon - stir of echoes Jennifer Morrison [ghost] of Samantha Kozac in Stir of Echoes (1999) Kathryn Erbe as Maggie Witzky, Kevin Bacon as Tom Witzky and Illeana Douglas as Lisa Weil in Stir of Echoes (1999) Kevin Bacon as Tom Witzky in Stir of Echoes (1999) Kevin Bacon as Tom Witzky in Stir of Echoes (1999) Kevin Bacon as Tom Witzky in Stir of Echoes (1999) Stir of Echoes
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Flixster Reviews (2,784)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    October 16, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    I had been wanting to watch Stir of Echoes for quite some time. Reading about on horror websites and praising the film, I knew I had to check out. Unfortunately I never did, until recently. This film blends psychological horror and supernatural horror into a film that definitely ... read morechills you. The cast deliver great performances, and the main lead who is Kevin Bacon is terrific in the role he plays. Stir of Echoes is a good psychological horror film that keeps you guessing till the every end. Stir of Echoes is a brilliant supernatural/psychological horror film, and Kevin Bacon delivers a good performance here. The film has some good chilling moments that really terrify you. Stir of Echoes had had the misfortune of being released after The Sixth Sense, and was dubbed a rip-off by the audience. I don't believe that is the case, Stir of Echoes may be the same type of horror film, but the film strays away enough from The Sixth Sense to be different, interesting and horrifying. Stir of Echoes is an underrated film and definitely should be seen by every horror fan. The cast is brilliant, the plot is engrossing and there are plenty of good, chilling moments to appeal to a selective horror audience. Stir of Echoes is a fine Supernatural horror film that definitely doesn't deserve the label "a Sixth Sense rip-off". This film is entertaining enough to keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end. A good, well plotted film.
  • SajinPA
    August 3, 2011
    SajinPA
    With a promising start, the film seemed building up to something real good, only to completely fall apart in the final third.
  • jjnxn
    February 18, 2011
    jjnxn
    This contains okay performances but the plot is full of holes and the resolution is farfetched.
  • SirPant
    November 24, 2010
    SirPant
    I've been wanting to see this film for ages and it didn't disappoint. I don't think the second half of the film was as strong as the first but I did find it to be very creepy and full of suspense. The cinematography was ace too, the scene in the cinema were he floats about in his... read more armchair, brilliant!
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    June 21, 2010
    LoughnerWasLucid
    i dont know how many times ive rated this (thanks, flixster) but yea, this was my favorite treat of summer of '99
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    A really great movie that sort've gets forgotten due to other's like The Ring, Sixth Sense, etc. It's a great story and actually scary, not many horrors have that combination. Kevin Bacon is what makes this movie above average, his total commitment to the role is amazing. He even... read more got the Chicago accent down 100%. I like that it has a strange family quality to it that you don't get in many horrors, almost like Poltergeist where you see the family functioning before everything gets crazy. Overall, it's well written, directed and acted.
  • DrZeek
    September 29, 2009
    DrZeek
    Jake Witzky: Does it hurt to be dead?

    A solid psychological thriller, with Kevin Bacon giving a strong lead performance. Arriving and being overshadowed by the Sixth Sense back in 1999, the film has a similar plot and tone, and while it may not be as good, this film still mana... read moreges to provide a fresh take on a ghost story.

    Loosely based on the Richard Matheson (the I Am Legend story) novel of the same name, Bacon stars as Tom, a regular working man, living with his wife and young son in Chicago. One night during a party, Tom, his wife Maggie, and their sister Lisa discuss hypnotism with the rest of their friends. It seems Lisa practices hynpo-therapy, but Tom is very much a skeptic. Convinced to try, Tom lets Lisa hypnotise him, only to have it work more effectively than planned.

    Arriving back at home, Tom begins to experience short bursts of visions. These visions are confusing to both we, the audience, and Tom. It seems to be a crime being committed against a woman, who also appears to Tom in another freaky vision. Tom may seem crazy, with eventual instructions by his visions to dig, causing him to take the instruction to heart, but his son also experiences visions, maybe even stronger than his father.

    Tom: I'm supposed to dig.

    A quick observation about ghost stories. When its a serious type horror film, ghosts tend to communicate in annoyingly cryptic messages, instead of outright telling you what the problem/situation is. When its a more light-hearted comedic film, ghosts will not only tell you what's going on, but basically hang out with you and provide comic relief. Writer/director David Koepp, better known for scripting some Spielberg blockbusters like Jurassic Park as well as Spider-Man, has directed both types of ghost stories. Ghost Town with Ricky Gervais was one, and this is the other. In these serious films, it doesn't help that all the familiar beats are hit, but the point I'm getting at here, is that this film is made well enough that the standard developments aren't as much of a problem.

    Bacon is very good in this film. His portrayal of average Joe getting visions and becoming obsessed is handled very well. The son also does a good job. I really enjoyed the wife Maggie, played by Kathryn Erbe, as well. Maggie doesn't just sit back and worry, there are some fun elements that she brings to the character that fit quite well.

    The film stumbles a bit when the convenience of a helpful character arriving occurs, as well as some of the turns in the last act, but for the most part, this is a very solid film, that does a good job of accomplishing what it has set out to do.

    Tom Witzky: I never wanted to be famous. I just never expected to be so...
    Maggie Witzky: What?
    Tom Witzky: I don't know, ordinary.
  • stormyweather980
    September 10, 2009
    stormyweather980
    "Stir of Echoes" is a great horror/thriller movie. Tom (Kevin Bacon) tries being hypnotized one day at a party and he finds out that he is one of the few people that can be deeply and easily hypnotized. Now he's seeing visions of a teenage girl that was murdered and these visions... read more drive him insane. Tom will do anything it takes to find the remains of this girl if it's the last thing he does. Of course his insane behavior is driving his wife (Kathryn Erbe) up the wall, but he can't let her bother him. However, his son (Zachary David Cope) seems to understand because he can see the visions of the girl even better than Tom can. Tom has to find a way to suppress these supernatural visions before he really does go insane.
    "Stir of Echoes" is a great movie in every way. The acting is good, the suspense is great, and it was definitely one of the best movies of the year if you ask me. If it wouldn't have came out in the theatres at almost the same time as "The Sixth Sense," it would've been a more popular movie and it wouldn't be underrated like it is now. I recommend anybody who likes horror movies to get "Stir of Echoes," you won't regret it. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    July 11, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Some doors weren't meant to be opened."

    After being hypnotized by his sister in law, a man begins seeing haunting visions of a girl's ghost and a mystery begins to unfold around her.

    REVIEW
    ... read more>
    On the heels of the great "Sixth Sense" comes this second kid-who-talks-to-ghosts movie. In this one, the father can also communicate with spirits, as he discovers (to his horror) after being hypnotized at a neighborhood beer-guzzling party. Kevin Bacon plays the father in one of his best performances yet, sympathetically portraying a young blue collar worker who is horrified not just by ghosts, but by the way his life is sinking into depressing ordinariness. The horror plot is developed a bit too slowly for a thriller, but it has some strong moments, and the denouement is thoroughly satisfying, even if it lacks the jaw-dropping climax of "Sixth Sense." The atmosphere and day-to-day details of the working class Chicago neighborhood are very well captured, especially for a genre movie.
  • Redlats
    May 10, 2009
    Redlats
    Why are there so many movies where the characters can see ghosts? The movie is pretty good. Kevin Bacon plays the dad who is haunted by the ghost he sees. When she asks him to dig, he doggedly digs everything he can in the yard and house. I enjoyed the performances of all the... read more major characters - the father, mother and 5 yr old son.

View All Stir of Echoes Reviews

Critic Reviews

Lisa Alspector
December 10, 2007
Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader

[A] serious, atmospheric, character-driven supernatural drama. Full Review

Jay Carr
January 1, 2000
Jay Carr, Boston Globe

Stir of Echoes might have worked just fine a few decades ago, but it now seems too simply schematic to spook us as much as it wants to.

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The kind of film that may give you pause the next time you walk into a dark room by yourself. Full Review

Susan Wloszczyna
January 1, 2000
Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today

Koepp keeps Stir of Echoes stirring for a good hour or so but is unable to sustain the mood throughout.

Joe Leydon
January 1, 2000
Joe Leydon, Variety

The credibility quotient gets its biggest boost from Bacon's shrewdly detailed performance! Full Review

Tom Keogh
January 1, 2000
Tom Keogh, Film.com

Star Kevin Bacon is at times wildly exciting, while Kathryn Erbe, playing his character's long-suffering wife, delivers an understated but terribly interesting performance.

Michael Wilmington
January 1, 2000
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

It has enough smarts to scare us, Sixth Sense or not.

Rod Dreher
January 1, 2000
Rod Dreher, New York Post

Stir of Echoes is studded with potent fright scenes and built on a rock-solid performance by the ever - dependable Kevin Bacon.

Owen Gleiberman
January 1, 2000
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

It offers a stir of an echo of horror, rather than the genuine cathartic article. Full Review

Steven Rosen
January 1, 2000
Steven Rosen, Denver Post

When Stir of Echoes is focused on the supernatural, it is a scary and technically superior film. However, as it turns into a conventional thriller it becomes ordinary.

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Stir of Echoes Trivia

  • In this movie, Kevin Bacon is hypnotized and it results in experiences with the paranormal.  Answer »
  • What Kevin Bacon movie involves a man who begins seeing haunting visions of a girl's ghost after being hypnotized by his sister in law.  Answer »
  • Which actor has starred in all these films: Footloose, The River Wild, Trapped, Stir of Echoes, and The Woodsman?   Answer »
  • In the movie Stir of Echoes, what word is on the screen when Kevin Bacon is hypnotized the second time  Answer »
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