Posted on: February 28th, 2010 [REVIEW] The House of the Devil
You have to give it to horror films of the late 70’s through the 80’s for making the genre so distinctly recognizable. Like a time capsule, these films – made famous by such films as Suspiria or The Amityville Horror, and by directors like Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci – wear their time and aesthetic so unmistakably, their very existence become self-aware. There’s no doubt you know an early 80’s horror film when you see one. And that’s not purely due to the graininess of the film or the low-budget of the production, or even the often times embarrassing costumes. It’s much more than that. There was a distinct directing style to these films, and a very defined sense of pacing and editing. Even the scores used in the films of the decade can instantly out a film whose time of origin is at the question of the viewer. They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to. Unless of course, you are writer-director Ti West, who went and made an 80’s horror film in 2009, The House of the Devil.
The House of the Devil is (though unconfirmed) set in the fall of 1983. Young college student Samantha, hard up for cash, answers a campus flyer looking for a babysitter. When Samantha answers the ad, and shows up to the house, she finds herself alone, paranoid, and ultimately tangled up with some very creepy homeowners.
The film was shot on Kodak 16mm film, giving it that grainy, aged look, though it feels totally natural, unlike Planet Terror in which the aesthetic style was more over the top. Everything in HotD just feels real, from the minimal (though highly effective) score to the costumes and props. It’s shockingly apparent that every little detail was scrutinized and thought over before adding it to the film. Though modern horror has lost most of the sensibilities and character from the 80’s, the few times a new film will pay homage to the horrors of yore, it plays out for kitsch and camp rather than legitimate respect and craftsmanship. Again, HotD is incredibly impressive as an homage to slasher and haunted house films of that decade.
Moving past the visual style of the film, HotD doesn’t cease to rule there. On it’s own, as a story, the film is beyond a well-written, well-paced piece of horror. The suspense of the film, which feeds upon the majority of the film’s run-time, is certainly more Hitchcockian than we’ve seen from a thriller in most recent years. One might argue that the film is rather slow to deliver, but I disagree; the film takes its time in putting us in the characters shoes and actually letting us know Samantha and what makes her tick. When the real, tangible horror begins, it is all the more effective. And, without giving away too many spoilers, the sub-genre of satanic cults can be a finicky one for audiences; for me personally, I don’t find it all that scary. Ti West has managed to create such a genre film that we can all relate to, in terms of what scares us.
The film, which premiered at the Tribecca Film Festival in April ‘09, had a limited theatrical run later in the year. The House of the Devil hit DVD and Blu-Ray this past Tuesday, so get out there and see a copy. If you’re a fan at all of the horror/suspense/thriller genre you will love it.
2 Responses to “[REVIEW] The House of the Devil”
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Dalyn Says:
March 1st, 2010 at 8:24 amI agree and disagree. I agree on the look and the feel really hitting the mark. Story-wise, though, this was a clunker for me. They did build suspense, but tried to build it for so long the whole thing just deflated for me. And all for a quickly rushed, 5 minute pay-off in the end. By the time that gets around, I just don’t care anymore. I think by the third time she explored the house, I was pretty much over it.
I did like the song during the credits. It sounded like The Cars by way of Goblin.
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ProMovieBlogger Says:
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:36 amThey nailed it with this film. After 20 minutes, I thought I was watching an 80’s horror film. Great work by Ti West.
I found a review of blu-ray here:
http://film-book.com/blu-ray-review-the-house-of-the-devil/@Dalyn I have to disagree w/ you on the suspense. The entire time you knew something was coming, looming. To me, it wasn’t a let down when what it was became known. If you looked at the title passage before the film started, about cults, it was no surprise.