2009 has not been the best year when it comes to horror films. So far, it appears that I will not even have a top ten list this year, so I was looking forward to seeing The House of the Devil. To a person, friends and colleagues who had seen it before I did gave it glowing reviews. In fact, one of my friends guaranteed me that I would like this film. He was right, and so far, it seems sure to make the top ten list this year.
The House of the Devil is set in the 1980s. Samantha (Jocelin Donahue), a college student, is preparing to move into a new apartment. She does not have much money and is desperate to find a job that will pay her enough to make a down payment on the apartment. When she sees an ad on campus soliciting a babysitter, she calls the number and leaves a message. The man who returns her call asks her to meet him about the job. He never arrives for the appointment, but he soon calls back and asks Samantha to come to his house as it’s a matter of importance. He agrees to pay her a large sum of cash for her trouble. Samantha and her friend, Megan (Greta Gerwig), head into the country to the house. There, they are meet by Mr. Ulman (Tom Noonan), who explains his situation to Samantha, and agrees to pay her more money if she stays. Needing the money, Sam agrees. Little does she know that her night is about to change. With a looming full lunar eclipse, Samantha soon will find herself involved in the plot of a satanic cult.
By setting the film in the 80s, the filmmakers are able to remove the convenience of cell phones without resorting to some artificial plot device to remove modern communication technology. However, in House of the Devil, where the phone line simply could have been dead, writer/director Ti West lets Samantha use the phone openly, avoiding that dead phone line cliché. The story does start off a bit slowly, but it really builds the characters, and we’re reintroduced to the time period that was the 1980’s. Samantha is seen wearing a bulky Walkman, listening to music. The hairstyles and costumes are very true to the time. West introduces us to the era, but does take his time in doing so. The horror really starts in the third act, but it’s the buildup and development of the story that not only grabs the viewer, but also ratchets up the suspense that leads up to the violent conclusion.
The film’s production value is very good. I really have to hand it to the wardrobe and prop departments on this one. The locations are great as well. The film is set in Connecticut where there are plenty of Victorian houses still around. The house used for this film really adds a great sense of creepiness while still maintaining its well-kept look. I am not sure if the film was shot on location or on a set, but the overall feel still has the eighties look while evoking an eerie, uncomfortable feel. There are not a lot of visual or make-up effects until the end of the film, most of which consist of heavy blood use, with a few little gory features added here and there. The good thing is that the blood and gore are used in all the right scenes. The film is not saturated with excess gore for the sake of catering to those who need to be entertained by such pointlessness. It is a film that relies on suspense, and does so almost to perfection.
The House of the Devil hails back to a time when horror films were made to scare rather than simply to shock. It is a film that echoes some of of the old Hammer films and such classics as Rosemary’s Baby and The City of the Dead. The House of the Devil deserves merits for its outstanding writing and filmmaking style, relying more on suspense rather than all out blood and gore. It is one of very few horror films this year that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
– 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
