Reviews: Poltergeist III (1998) Movie Review
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Demons
Subgenres: Mystery, Possession, Survival, Cursed, Dangerous Exploration, Dysfunctional Family, Haunted House - Investigation
Poltergeist III (1998) shocked audiences with its ending. Our spoiler-free review explains the scares, themes, and what makes this film unforgettable.
Poltergeist III (1988) is an American thriller-horror film, the third and final installment in the original Poltergeist film series. Director and co-writer Gary Sherman (Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987), Raw Meat (1972), Lisa (1989)) did a magnificent job executing this phenomenal movie that I have watched over a dozen times since my childhood. The film is rated PG-13 and contains s**ual remarks/language, extreme violence, foul language, and frightening scenes that will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat.
Poltergeist III starts by showing us Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O’Rourke - Poltergeist (1982), Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), Surviving (1985)) being sent to live with her Aunt Pat in Chicago. Aunt Pat and her husband Bruce (Tom Skerritt - Alien (1979), Top Gun (1986), Picket Fences (1992-1996), Ted (2012)) has a teenage daughter named Donna. Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle - Men in Black II (2002), The Practice (1997-2003), Wayne’s World (1992), Dead Poets Society (1989)) is Bruce’s daughter and Pat (Nancy’s sister), and Bruce has been married for about a year. Pat is resentful toward Carol Anne and her bizarre ghost stories, whereas Bruce cares for Carol Anne, bonds with her, resulting in him saving the family in the end with his love and trust for Carol Anne.
Carol Anne attends a particular school for children with emotional problems and a gift. Carol Anne’s doctor, Dr. Seaton, thinks that she made up everything about ghosts but will change his mind all too soon after Reverend Henry Kane finds a way through the mirrors of Carol Anne’s apartment building to get to her. Henry Kane (Nathan Davis - Risky Business (1983), Chain Reaction (1996), Holes (2003), Dunston Checks In (1996)) needs Carol Anne to lead him into the light, but we do not see him much in the movie. I still cannot get over the fact that young Heather O’Rourke, who plays Carol Anne, had died about four months before this film was released. Almost everyone who has something to do with the Poltergeist franchise died from different reasons leading to the Poltergeist Curse theory.
Back to the movie: Dr. Seaton (Richard Fire - The Quickie (2001)) thinks that Carol Anne has the power to do mass hypnosis and can control people’s minds to make them see whatever she imagines or wants them to see. Seaton once saw a hand coming out of his desk while looking at the mirror and threw his coffee cup at the mirror, which breaks, and then blames it on Carol Anne, saying that she made him see that. Richard Fire was one of the worst actors in the movie, and his lines did not sound believable. Although they were good lines, he was not convincing enough for the role.
Poltergeist 3 is not what I expected it to be and not all thrilling, but I still love the movie, and I think it is because of my love for the first film. Poltergeist 3 was a pretty good movie overall, and there is not much that I do not like about this film. Poltergeist 3 is relatively fast-paced, where it takes place over one day and night. I applaud the special effects team for giving us elaborate effects and convincing realistic images resulting in spectacular visual appeals. I was anxiously waiting on pins and needles to see what was coming next as my tension grew with the film. It was super funny when Bruce and Pat encountered possessed frozen cars in the parking garage along with frozen chickens and pigs. I was cringing when I saw Donna’s evil mirror-self clawing itself out of Tangina’s dead body. A few of the actors gave top-notch convincing performances.
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Sources Used to Shape This Review
Insights in this review are drawn from director interviews, fan commentary, production notes, and long-form breakdowns across genre-specific platforms. Content is written uniquely and reviewed for accuracy.
- Poltergeist III Rating Scores
- Our Score: 6/10
- Overall Score: 4.31/10
- IMDB: 4.7/10
- MetaCritic: 4.0/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 1.5/10
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