Found footage can be hit or miss. Often miss. Blair Witch got lucky, and any other found footage film will unlikely have the same meta impact. Writer-Director Dominic O'Neill doesn't aim for that in Haunted Ulster Live, his lo-fi found footage horror.

Belfast, Halloween 1998, 9 PM. The Good Friday Agreement is six months old. Violence still haunts the streets. Midweek evening television is abysmal. So, Television Northern Ireland hosts a live broadcast from a haunted house. Hosted by veteran reporter Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) and up-and-coming children's television presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson), they investigate the ghostly haunting of a young family. Single mother Sarah (Siobhan Kelly), son Steven (Jay Lowey) and daughter Rose (Libby McBride) have been plagued with poltergeist activity, dark footprints, and cynical neighbours willing to gossip. Within minutes, strange activity begins in the house, and the team is joined by medium Sinéad (Antoinette Morelli) and paranormal investigator Robert (Dave Fleming); they attempt to solve the mystery of the supernatural entity Blackfoot Jack before they have to go to a commercial break.

Some viewers might say Haunted Ulster Live resembles the BBC's Ghostwatch (1992). That's because it does. And as such, it is sadly 30 years too late to be effective. It does not have the unsettling dread of Stephen Volk's classic, lacking the dark story world despite attempts to create the same visual effects.

A twist that, if you pay attention, you'll see coming within 15 minutes. Not only is the twist loudly telegraphed, but it ends up being relatively weak in retrospect. Its runtime leaves it without a chance to develop the plot's unanswered questions, which devolve into plot holes. The pieces are there for something fantastic. Something deeper and darker if it was fully realised. An Eternalist haunting of something forever happening, all at once, all the same. It's a missed opportunity that an extra 10 minutes might have fixed.

However, Haunted is not a bad film. The acting, humour and stylisation raise it out of the plot holes. This might seem like damming with faint praise, but it is enough to make it watchable. Enjoyable, even.

O'Neill captures the style of Northern Ireland's 90s TV: cheap indents and transitions mixed with horrific anti-terrorism adverts. The only thing missing is Jullian Simmons and Cats in the Cradle. It gives it an immersive quality, making it feel believable, down to the VT Clock countdown and test bars with video static, the correct date and time stamp, and even the commercial break cue dot.

Gerry and Michelle feel like real people. It would be easy to do the dichotomy of broadcast syrupiness with cynical backstage. But O'Neil makes his leads feel well-rounded and not confined to a single emotion. They, and O'Neil, use “Norn Iron” slang and patter without feeling self-conscious, making a refreshing change. O'Neil includes the trademark Belfast dark humour.

Haunted Ulster Live treads old ground, is light on scares, and has questionable plotlines. But it makes up for that with immersion, believable characters and being unashamed of where it comes from.

Haunted Ulster Live is now available on UK and Irish digital platforms.