Julien Neaves, Caribbean Head Writer
I came across this Trinidad and Tobago Television classic on YouTube during my regular search for Caribbean content (shout out to Visual Art and Production for posting it). The 1986 ghost story follows newlywed couple Vernon (Devindra Dookie) and Tricia (Brenda Joy Fahey) who are honeymooning at a deserted country place called the Mercer House. But their marital bliss is interrupted by an unexpected guest — the ghost of the former lady of the house, Meena.
I thought Meena was very well done. Most of the acting is solid with Dookie and Fahey believable as a couple in love. Fahey is also pretty easy on the eyes and Dookie frequently bares his hairy chest, so there’s something for everyone. We also have the legendary Horace James adding some gravitas as spiritual wise man and would-be exorcist Pokorol. James pulled triple duty with the project, acting also as producer and director.
There are a couple of performances, however, that felt off the mark. The first is the actress playing Vernon’s daughter from a previous marriage who comes off melodramatic and rehearsed (I hate to bag on child actors, but it is what it is), and the oddly robotic performance by a mysterious hunter who warns the couple about Meena. But neither are in the film for very long, so the negative effects are thankfully minimal.
The story is relatively straightforward but with enough mystery and twists to keep the viewer engaged. I do wish we got just a bit more of Meena’s backstory though. And speaking of the titular spectre, the dramatic stabs of the score did help to heighten the atmosphere and most of the practical haunting effects were effective enough. There is one scene with a chair that was particularly unnerving. This is nowhere near a Poltergeist budget, but they did well with what they had. I would have liked some creepy makeup on Meena herself and some distortion to her “crying”, as both would have made her more unsettling and less corporeal. But all in all, Meena holds up surprisingly well for a more than 35-year-old made-for-TV production. And if you’re in the mood for a classic Trini drama with some supernatural edge then a visit to the Mercer House is in order.
Editor Jules’ Score: 7.5 out of 10
You can watch Meena for yourself on YouTube in three parts (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3). And you can check out more classic Trinidad and Tobago content below:
Julien “Editor Jules” Neaves is a TARDIS-flying, Force-using Trekkie whose bedroom stories were by Freddy Krueger, learned to be a superhero from Marvel, but dreams of being Batman. I love promoting Caribbean film (Cariwood), creating board games and I am an award-winning author. I say things like “13 flavours of awesome sauce”. Read more.