Review of The Tractate Middoth

"The Tractate Middoth" is a British 36-minute live action short film from 2013, so this one will have its 5th anniversary next year. It was written and directed by Mark Gatiss, an Emmy winner for Sherlock, and he adapted the original work by M.R. James for the small screen here. If you hear the name of the latter, then you realize probably right away that this is among the most recent installments to the long-running British Ghost Stories for Christmas series that existed in the 1970s already. This BBc production features a bunch of actors that may not be well-known to non-English audiences, but nonetheless they still seem to be enjoying prolific careers, some also appeared on the previously mentioned "Sherlock". But just as overrated as Sherlock may be (starring the incredibly overrated B. Cumberbatch), just as overrated is also this little film we have here. Yes it is fairly atmospheric and the actors aren't bad (not great either though). I'll give them that. But the story struggles with authenticity on more than just one occasions and I am of course not referring to the inclusion of ghosts as this is the center of it all. I am referring to a librarian, who gets the hell scared out of him and still we are supposed to believe he keeps investigating in this spooky matter. Also how he does end up at the two women's house is a bit dubious and very much for story's purpose than convincingly realistic. I have not read James' original work, so cannot say if the problem lies there or in the adaptation here, but as a whole it is still a weak outcome, even if not a failure I guess. I give this little tale a thumbs-down. Not recommended.