Open House is the Directorial debut of Andrew Paquin, the older brother of actress Anna Paquin, who has a small role in the film. I usually get hesitant about the direct-to-DVD horror films that Lion Gates put out, mainly because the majority are usually not that great. However, I went into this one with an open mind, due to its cast and some of the premature praise it received at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The film is about a young couple who are in the middle of getting a divorce. Their home is on the market, and Alice (Rachael Blanchard) is trying to put the pieces of her life back together with the help of her friend Jennie (Anna Paquin). However, a couple interested in buying the house has decided to take it over instead. David (Brian Geraghty) and Lila (Tricia Helfer) are traveling murderers who go from house to house, kill anyone around them and live there until things start to get out of hand. Usually, they kill everyone, but this time around, David has decided to keep Alice as his pet, chaining her up in the basement crawlspace. Knowing that she kills anyone that she comes in contact with, David keeps Alice a secret from Lila. The duo, who we are led to believe are brother and sister, try to live in the home unnoticed as long as possible, however Lila with the sex drive of a rabbit is constantly bringing men to the house and killing them with the help of David. When friends of Alice and her estranged husband start coming around, the risk begins to get higher. If Alice plays her cards right, she might be able to escape the brutal duo, but the people that she knows may not fare so well when they encounter David and Lila.
Open House is a film that has a plot that many of us have seen used before in many films. The plot is by no means original, yet Writer/Director Andrew Paquin is able to make the plot into a nice suspenseful thriller that keeps the audience interested. During the film, you are rooting for Alice to escape, yet you are also worried that Lila might find out that she’s still alive and that David is keeping Alice in the house behind Lila’s back. The film is like a big game of cat-and-mouse, but it’s done to perfection.
This film probably had a small budget to work with. However, the production value was very good. I particularly liked the use of lighting and effects. The film does not have much gore, but there is a lot of blood and many of the killings take place off screen to give the audience that “less is more” feel to get your imagination pumping on what just happened to the victims. The film also has very good acting, which is always a plus in low budget productions.
I have to give Lions Gates a lot of credit for picking this film up. Open House may not be the most original thriller out there, but it’s a very well written, well directed film that is worth the 87 minutes of your time. The DVD has a few special features such as commentary with actor Brian Geraghty and Director Andrew Paquin, along with deleted scenes and the films trailer. Open House is well worth checking out.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
