If you appreciate a movie that pulls you in, all the while requiring you to think; at the same time eliciting strong feelings in you that you do not expect and might rather not feel, then this is a movie for you. Simply presented, economically fashioned, and searingly executed it is soul-freezing in its directness; subtle in the manner of a systemic disease that presents as a seemingly innocent bump while complications reveal themselves only as you begin to pay closer and closer attention. This is sophisticated psychospiritual horror. It had (has?) me wondering if I was (am?) a Ghost. It is not a quickly developing story, but the pace befits the subject and the shifting rhythm carries you along until patience definitely pays off. I would suggest a mild warning for those who have issues of a traumatic nature. This movie may be an unsuspected trigger (that is cocked and ready...and loaded).

I am not really much of a film buff and I cannot remember commenting on a film in my life, but i do enjoy reading and listening to audio-book ghost stories instead of watching films, but this is a little gem. The great thing about this 'low budget' film is that it is not padded out with over the top effects, which can be a turn off when over done. The film has a decent story backed up by a fine and believable acting performance from Anna Ishida, i really felt for her character.

I will be on the lookout for more low budget films from now on and hope that i can find a few more quality films like this. Low budget does not mean low quality.

8/10 and well done to those involved in making this little gem.

There have been an undeniable amount of ghost pictures in our history. But only a teaspoon of them can make you sit back and question yourself on what might actually happens when we die.

Presented in a very original and artistic screen with some stunning visuals and shots, we follow the story of Emily (Anna Ishida) in what is a long opening act as she goes about her day. Now, this will put most people off but, bare with it, as everything that happens during the entirety of the film is apparent and necessary. 99% of the picture is carried by Anna Ishida. A very small cast is used here and that makes for an excellent ghost film.

One of the key points about 'I am A Ghost',that ANY film enthusiast will feel comforted by is this, 'I am A Ghost' doesn't treat you like a moron. Many films similar to, or just plain complicated will retract back to earlier scenes to tell you, 'Hey, dumb ass, remember this bit? Yeah, this bit means that bit. Okey carry on watching I'll be back to remind you again in 3 minutes'. Everything compiles into a well structured plot that even if you feel lost part way, will eventually be clicking your fingers saying, "Oh Blimey! That's what that was".

Now why didn't I give this a whopping 10/10? In truth, the opening act is long and repetitive, even if it is key, it still feels like a fist- in-cheek 'chop chop hurry up' moment. Next, is some of the effects used are poor and feel a little bit silly for a picture that is so good, but aside that, the plot keeps it strong.

Now, notice how I am not saying an entire amount about this picture? Well the plot that floats about and even on this site explains more than enough. And I quote~ (*If you refuse to read the plot on this site, skip to the next paragraph, if you don't give two-damns, please, continue reading as I detest spoilers more than anything on this floating rock we call Earth!*)~~ 'Emily is a troubled spirit. With the help of Sylvia, a clairvoyant hired to rid the house of spirits, Emily is forced into a 'patient/therapist' relationship, uncovering disturbing mysteries about her past that may help her move on to 'the next place'.~~ End Quote So to say more than that is more than enough and even that itself is far too much information!

Conclusion. This is a smart, gorgeous, underrated must see! This shall be placed high on the shelf along side The Others, Sixth Sense and Martyrs. A single actor throughout most (if not all) the film. Wonderfully directed by H.P Mendoza, showing off his style by not filming what is not needed, then giving us visual chocolate. An incredibly eerie and haunting soundtrack that fits into place like a Soul-mate (Oh I am scandalous!) And most of all, an ambiguous ending.

Plot: Emily is a ghost and every day she walks the halls of her house. She hears a voice, the voice of Sylvia, who is trying to help guide her out of there.

Our thoughts: I've been watching several ghost movies lately, gone back to a few old and great ones (such as "The Changeling") and checked out a few I hadn't seen before. Ghost stories have always managed to creep me out the most, outside of things based on reality (since that's more plausible). Growing up I always got the chills imagining stuff like a white shape wandering down the halls. Everyone has probably experienced something strange in their lives. While most will try to find logical reason, I have always been open to it. Or rather, I find things I can't explain to be interesting, albeit a bit scary. But let's face it, the best ghost stories have been told. We've had some alright ones - I'll even admit that "Insidious" had potential, but REALLY went down hill fast. The best one in recent memory is "Lake Mungo" (some people will hate me for bringing it up again, but I don't care). But what do all of these have in common? They are horror stories, focusing on people being scared of ghosts. What I have for review today is the opposite of this, and quite frankly I think it's one of the best ghost stories I have ever seen.

The plot is extremely simple to explain: the title says it all. "I Am a Ghost" is about a ghost, trapped in the house she once lived in. She repeats every day in similar fashion. But there is someone on the other side ("our side") trying to help guide her out of there. This is an easy thing to grasp, and in some ways you might think of "The Others", but they couldn't be more different!

First of all, this is a drama. It's an extremely emotional and invested look into how it could be for a ghost. They might be victims and not out to scare us. Maybe they're as scared as we are! Our lead, Emily, is a very nice young girl. We quickly fall for her because of her innocence, and the longer we follow her the more curious we are about what happened to her when she was alive. And how will she be able to leave the afterlife? I think a movie like this saves itself by working with repetitions. Being a ghost movie, we expect repetitions so it never comes off as annoying. Rather we are trying to puzzle things together for every repeat and see how things slowly change. The most interesting scenes here are actually dialogue-driven, and that speaks highly of how well-written the movie is.

H.P. Mendoza has, overall, managed to craft an experience that I believe in. If there are ghosts, then I think this is how it is. I find it to be nearly spotless in terms of style, writing, directing, acting, the story and how it all unfolds slowly. It helps us identify with a ghost, not only through the character but in every detail. This is one of those cases where you get a sense that everything has been puzzled together perfectly during production. Even the cinematography helps us accept that we're in the afterlife - exactly how it does that I don't know, but it's a very slick movie. At times it's as if the camera was floating. Not to mention the movie is filtered to feel like an old photograph. Anna Ishida is great as Emily, and obviously the movie would've fallen flat if the lead actress couldn't play the part. There is so much about Anna Ishida that makes her perfect for the part, but I think the main reason I could accept her in the part was because of her innocent, confused eyes. The house itself has an old, charming look - and is very much a creepy place for a ghost story (even though it's not specifically creepy).

While I write this, I feel angry because I can't capture how fantastic the movie is in my own writing. "I Am a Ghost" grabbed me from the beginning, and there wasn't a second that I wasn't in awe. This is not a gory, violent, eccentric or even that experimental movie, but a perfectly executed drama about a ghost. It's the perfect ghost story because it takes time to solve the puzzle, and brings up so many points about ghosts that I've always wondered about. Most importantly: if ghosts exist, what is it like to be one? It's not going for chills, scares or even survival (which I suppose is the primal goal for every horror movie). Because it ignores all of that, we get time to invest ourselves to solve the puzzle of how to get Emily out of there, and for once we sit down and THINK. There is only one little thing that I can class as negative, and that was an effect towards the end. By then we're very into it, so at first you'll feel like you've came out of it again. But don't worry, this is where it shows an element of horror and soon you'll be as invested as you were the minute before.

I love "I Am a Ghost", and if there is ONE ghost story to watch this year (in many years, really), then this is it. You can ignore every "Paranormal Activity" movie completely, because this has them beat before the title page appears. Whatever happens in H.P. Mendoza's career from now on, he will always be the man behind "I Am a Ghost" and I hope he takes pride in that fact. "I Am a Ghost" is an incredible experience, a clever twist on ghost stories, and most of all a very sad drama that you will find yourself invested deeply in.

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Wow. What a powerful, moving, scary, and relatable story. Horror has always been my forte, but this micro budgeted beauty is far more than horror. Anna Ishida is excellent as the lost spirit, who even in death loses something more. The film is stripped of traditional storytelling, and is very art-house so know what you're headed in for. It's not one of those straight- forward, clunk-headed horror action pictures. It takes time to build suspense, its character(s), and its haunting and surreal atmosphere. What is especially haunting is, and this is coming from someone who worked with a shaman, it seems ultra-realistic to accounts of dead person's experiences (the little the clairvoyants in this world can understand). I could actually see this being the experience of a spirit who clearly is bound to this world by a force she thinks she cannot control, but in the end realizes she can. It's a great film about finding out who you really are, and about the beast in all of us. I hope to see more from this director, and this was a solid effort. Encore.

I'm a fan of paranormal and ghost movies. I Am a Ghost felt "new", a unique voice standing apart from other films. I had no idea what to expect and I wasn't disappointed. It lingered with me for days. I don't want to give anything away, but the movie provides a slow moody build up before unfolding its mystery. I want to watch it again to catch clues. Initially, you watch the main character Emily go through daily, mundane routines at home, and there is repetitiveness in order to illustrate an important point. Throughout these daytime scenes, you quickly realize that something is awry. There were some truly scary parts. The main character is living in this creepy, out-of-time, old house. Even in daylight, the house manages to feel oppressive and terrifying.

It is true that the first 30 or so minutes are slow. Mendoza takes his time setting up Emily's world. If you pay any attention, you'll notice that the beginning scenes aren't repeating. While Emily is doing the same action (cooking breakfast, cleaning) the details change every time. You have to be an active viewer. If you expect to be spoon fed all the answers, don't waste your time with I AM A GHOST.

Anna Ishida carries the movies on her shoulders. Besides the voice of an unseen medium, all you see is Anna. She deserves every credit for making this movie work. Without her strong performance (and Mendoza's directing), this movie would not work.

Mendoza uses music to add suspense and manipulate the tone of the film. There's a lot of quiet moments made better by the music. "Emily's Theme" adds to the atmosphere.

There is some very brutal imagery in the last act. If this was rated by the MPAA, it would receive a R.

Mendoza loves his details. This is his first horror, and I look forward to seeing what he does next.

I watched I am a Ghost with the sound quite loud which I think may have scared my neighbours a little bit. I though it was incredibly entertaining and kept me gripped throughout the majority of the film which is quite an achievement considering there were only two actors and one VO all in one location.

The location was fascinating, it reminded me of both my grandparents houses and I'm pretty sure my granny had that very same frying pan. But seriously the furniture, the old portraits and all the decor were all to be marvelled at. I would love to spend a few days on holiday somewhere like that. The exterior shot at the beginning was amazing too, I do hope it was the real exterior but maybe it was cheated. Great location one way or another!

I loved the twist near the beginning when you realise that she is actually a Ghost. Doh! I should have picked that one up with the title but I didn't.

I enjoyed the fact that she listened and learnt about her self to try and get better when the clairvoyant was speaking to her. It allowed the audience to go on a journey of discovery with Emily which gave the character greater depth as the story unfolded.

I appreciated the short running time. This is not a criticism but yes it's hard to watch a film these days with only one location and couple of actors. Any longer and you might have felt things dragging on. It was definitely all the that was needed.

It was genuinely shocking and scary. The Knife scenes freaked me out at the start especially as they were initially juxtaposed with the routine of her everyday life. I started wondering if she was mutilating her self every day which left me feeling pretty uneasy. The crazy fella coming running down the stairs was truly terrifying. Credit to the directer and actor (and make up department) for creating such a horrific character. Nothing to be said here for the costume department ;-)

My only disappointment was the resolution could have been slightly more satisfying. I don't mind if endings are not happy by any means however I was left wondering what the outcome of the main character would be after the end of the film. This did make we want to watch the film a second time to grasp this ending again. I'm wondering now if i missed a metaphor or not but i like that because it leaves me thinking about the film long after the closing credits.

Finally as a film maker I appreciated the effort and love that has been put into this film. With such a tiny crew it seems it's pretty much all done by the producer and director however it caries a professional polished feeling. There's a feeling of a lot of hours spent perfecting all the minor details from music, to sound design, to the introduction card and closing credits. Fair play or to the producer and director for pulling the stops out with next to no budget. Definitely looking out for this director in the future.

This is not you're average horror movie and if you don't like ghosts, demons, paranormal, etc. this is not for you.

If you do like that sort of stuff then this is a must see and a must have for a DVD collection. I thought this movie had an interesting plot. It got a little weird near the end but what horror movie hasn't done that?

I thought the actress played the character really well. There are not a lot of movies that can build up a jump scare too well. There is only a couple but the one after she becomes conscious was amazing and scared the poop out of me.

Full disclosure: I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre, I'm more a fan of David Lynch and that style of weirdness. So if you're looking for a regular horror film, you will not find that here. It's more unsettling on a deep level, and sets up a suspense that keeps you engaged if you're the sort of film-goer that likes to think about what they're watching.

It does definitely have some scare-moments, but most of the film is a slow burn. In many ways more of a mystery than a horror. But what makes me love this film is how different it is from anything else I've ever seen. Highly original to the point of being experimental, but in a way you're not expecting. Anna Ishida's performance is mesmerizing.

I'm sorry but I just didn't get this film at all. Its low budget yes but repeating the same film footage over and over for 45 mins was awful and I watched the whole film but still not sure what the ending was about.

Good points : The acting of the one girl in all of the film was good, the sound effects give you the idea that something was going to happen which was good but sadly thats all the positives I can say.

Bad points : Nothing happened, slow, no ending that i could figure out and just not a horror.

To summarize the idea was good but maybe i'm not "arty" to get this. I've seen some rubbish in my time but this is hard to beat.

I was not bored, not even for a second. This film managed to keep me rooted to my seat with ONE actress. I get bored easily, but this grabbed and kept my attention.

I felt incredible empathy for this girl when usually I am shouting at the screen at the stupidity of the main character. The actress managed to come across as intelligent, likable, and so very, very lost.

I was at first conflicted about the ending, but then I got it. She remembered Sylvia's mantra "I am a ghost." All the other ghosts were disappearing, and there was a look of horror on the man's face, so I think she made it out.

Gotta tell you though, I sat there, holding my breath, half-expecting her to start cooking eggs again.

This is an elegant, absolutely gorgeous film.

Definitely one of the stranger films that I've seen in a long time. A little too "artsy" for my taste.

This was basically a 75 minute film that contained about 15 minutes of unique footage that simply repeated itself over and over (and over and over again).

At first, the viewer is exposed to a series of short scenes in one of about 5 or 6 different locations in the house. In the beginning, these repeating scenes did almost nothing to advance the story. Then slowly, as Emily learns what she is and what happened to her, the scenes begin to expand and change, just enough to reveal a bit more of the story.

This continues for what seems to be an eternity (I guess if you're a ghost, eternity isn't that long) until the end when Emily comes to grips with what has happened to her and she begins the process of "moving on". Unfortunately, it ends before we actually see Emily's final transition and leaves you with assumptions of what probably happened. Finally, you are left to wonder "what the *@#$ did I just watch?."

I will say that Anna Ishida gave a good performance as the main character of Emily, considering the material that she was working with. But her performance wasn't quite enough to save the film.

If you're looking for a terror movie like Poltergeist, Amityville or something like it, so this is the wrong movie. However, if you look for a movie about ghosts with a different point of view, the ghost's point of view, so maybe you'll like this movie.

(*)(*)(*)(*) WARNING: THE TEXT BELOW CONTAINS SPOILERS !!! (*)(*)(*)(*)

The movie also has a little life lesson that, perhaps, we don't realize at first glance. A girl that lives inside a loop which is one day that repeats over and over again. She is a ghost repeating her last day without knowing about it. Then one day a psychic initiates contact with her. So there's a battle in which the psychic tries to free her. She initially refuses to believe and, when she finally accepts the truth, she faces the fear to move forward. When she finally decides to move on, she finds out that she needs to face a part of herself that is dark and is stopping her from proceed.

The interesting is the plot fits perfectly for living people. When we just start to live an empty and repetitive life because we afraid to get out of our comfort zone, we just become ghosts of ourselves. The only way out is to do as the character in the movie, accept the reality and face what is trapping us, for then to be able to get ahead.

I liked this a lot. Clever story and well produced on such a small budget.

The repetitions were just beginning to wear on me, when the "closing off" happened. The mystery was gradually revealed, and the final conflict came quickly. The protagonist has an unpleasant past, but the character is sympathetic so I was rooting for her.

A few criticisms. I suspected the medium was untrustworthy, but her character was disappointingly straight. There was no reason she wouldn't have known the full story from the start - maybe giving her a motive to conceal the truth would have added an extra layer to the story. Dialogue needed more work - I thought the protag spoke a bit modern, and it didn't seem right when the demon said she couldn't "handle" the pain or fear or whatever. There are some anomalies over the time period, and the intriguing comment about her running out of the room when she'd been told how long ago she died was not addressed. The demon's first appearance is Japan style scary, but he looks silly in the final scene. And the end was a bit mysterious - would have been more satisfying by reaching the logical conclusion of the medium's advice.

Would have been a 9 except for that. Looks like the director is an all rounder, so good job.

ps. If the medium had turned out to be the real demon ...

I hate to disparage independent films that are attempting to do something "against the grain" in contemporary horror. I appreciate that "I Am A Ghost" is attempting to be a more intelligent, dialog driven film than the usual horror drivel, but Its many flaws compel me to write something to balance out the reviews I saw which, preposterously, likened it to Kubrick, Bergman and Hitchcock, or even "Lake Mungo." Beyond some interesting applications of After Effects, there is very little style, let alone Kubrick's. The only thing that can be compared to Bergman is the furniture. There is nothing the least bit Hitchcock about any of it. All in all, it feels like the first project of some competent filmmakers with good taste but not particularly good writing skills. Worse, it suffers from some basic logic problems and apparent anachronisms that, rather than elevating it into something fantastic or dream-like, are simply distracting. When did the main character die? The fashion and interior decoration in the ghost's remembered vision of the house (which is inexplicably the same furniture that exists in the clairvoyant's future time-line...did all future residents of the house just keep the same furniture, including the carpet on which an insane woman was stabbed to death?) appears to be from the late 19th century or even earlier. And yet the character listens to radio from the 1930s and there is a reference to electro convulsive therapy which didn't happen in the States until at least the 1940s. Perhaps this can be explained with some alternate interpretation of the ending, but any clues leading to that explanation would be so obscure that even a fan of Bergman would find it baffling. Add to this a ridiculously humorous "monster" (a nude man in gray body paint with a face manipulated by computer into something the Japanese might have been bored by twenty years ago), dialog that confuses awkward formality for intelligence, and moments such as the villain, in response to the heroine's prayers, menacingly proclaiming "Your god is dead," (shades of "Hellraiser), and it begins to become clear that this is, in fact, not the "original," "artsy," "sophisticated" movie that it's being represented as in reviews. Even the plot is nothing new to anyone with passing knowledge of ghost stories. Don't get me wrong, this isn't absolute trash, but if you are an intelligent film fan looking for something sophisticated and original, wait until it's on Netflix...

This was hands down the worst movie I have ever seen. From the woman's dress that was made out of a 5 count bed sheet, to her awful wig that was bought at the dollar store, to the full frontal of a...man demon thing? I watched this hoping to be actually scared, instead of laughing and constantly asking myself "WHY?" The voice of the human woman was horrible and grating. She sounded like she was just reading her lines off of the script. Very stiff. It was more like a high school play than anything. Actually I think a high school play would have pulled this off better. Just see The Others instead. Same general idea, better acting and costumes as well. And yes I know this was made on a $10,000 budget blah blah blah, but you can get a better dress than that puffed sleeve smock she wore. I wasted 2 hours of life, and they wasted $10,000. What a piece of garbage. Kudos for filming an entire movie with a first generation iPhone, though!

I thought that, once the medium contacted her the first time, "Finally this thing is going to move forward". But, nope, she runs out of the room and the annoying, repeatable scenes start over. Yeh, I know that there were subtle differences in each scene, but who cares?

And what is up with the SUDDEN LOUD NOISES/SOUNDS? They weren't scary, just annoying.

I fast forwarded about 20 minutes and not much happened. I watched until the end and there was no resolution? What a crock.

If you're intending to watch this movie, just go ahead and fast forward through the first 30 of the 76 minutes. I guess the repetition is supposed to build suspense, but it just annoyed me.

The character, Emily is very likable. She's perfect for the role in every way except that her nationality doesn't fit the setting and is very different than the photographs of her family. There wasn't enough backstory for me to really build a connection with Emily before the end of the movie.

I expected more interaction with the living and more suspense, but all I got was a good 10- 15 minutes of cheaply implied fear and a open ending. FYI "The Ring" came out in 2002 and this movie was made in 2012.

Being a psychology major, I really wanted to like this movie. I do love the concept, but so much more could've been done to make this a good movie, even with no budget.