Under the reliable production hand of Larry Fessenden, Ti West made an impressive horror debut with 2005’s atmospheric zombie-bat retro chiller THE ROOST. Fessenden lurks behind the scenes of his latest movie (as do returning composer Jeff Grace and actor Tom Noonan), which, after a period of being dicked around by Lionsgate on the still-unreleased CABIN FEVER 2, (re-edited against his wishes), confirms the writer / director’s considerable promise.
Like THE ROOST, THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is a movie made by a guy who understands what made the great horror movies of the 70’s and 80’s so memorable. The title belongs in the 70’s and immediately echoes the genuinely chilling RACE WITH THE DEVIL. The occultist subject matter is a pleasing throwback to the most lucrative horror cycle of this period, a cycle instigated by Polanski’s ROSEMARY’S BABY (another key influence, and explicitly referenced in this film’s coda). Grace’s wonderfully eerie score, the near-subliminal flashes of a demonic face and the recurring juxtaposition of loud moments with silence or near-silence are all powerful elements familiar from THE EXORCIST.
The movie’s style, opening title / end credits design, pacing and music are specifically in the 70’s genre mould, though the unspecified setting (authentically, not distractingly, conveyed via the clothes, haircuts and walkmans) would appear to be the early 80’s. Leading lady Jocelin Donahue certainly looks like she just stepped out of a horror movie from this period, while the presence of iconic past genre figures Noonan, Mary Woronov and Dee Wallace (as Donahue’s landlady) reinforces the retro feel.
The homage factor may, for fans at least, give off the warm vibe of fond cinematic memories but, crucially, THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is a tour-de-force in its escalation of tension and innate creepiness. Its fashionable “based on unexplained true events” opening tag neatly echoes – especially in regards to its backdrop – the Satanic panic prevalent throughout the 80’s in the USA.
Donahue is terrific as one of the most sympathetic and naturalistic horror heroines of recent genre vintage. She’s a financially struggling student who responds to an advert on campus requesting a babysitter and ends up agreeing to a cool $400 for one night’s work to “baby-sit” the ailing mom of peculiar Woronov and her husband (Noonan) at their remote country house. They have particular business to attend to on this particular night, which involves an imminent total lunar eclipse. The nature of that business becomes all too clear to Donahue over the course of one long, terrifying evening.
West refreshingly avoids the easy route of clichéd jump-scares and cheap shocks, which makes the few moments when the movie breaks from its quietly devastating mood to deliver a genuine outright explicit jolt (particularly the bloody fate of Donahue’s best friend) all the more shocking. The first hour or so of Donahue gradually getting majorly creeped out in the sinister house is beautifully handled. Restrained camerawork, low-key but chilly music, static long shots and uncomfortably lengthy takes all serve as potent reminders of how to craft an ambience of almost unbearable menace and tension. When the cat’s out of the bag in the final stages, both the editing and musical styles adapt to accommodate the shift in pace and escalation of danger.
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL has the courage of its convictions to avoid self-conscious referencing or campiness. This is reflected by the performances : subtly costumed to hint at their devilish true natures, Woronov and Noonan underplay evil to delicious effect.
It’s such a satisfying and scary movie that it seems almost churlish to complain that the final scene – although very much in the tradition of the 80’s horror movie coda – slightly spoils what would have otherwise been an awesome ending.
– Steven West
- 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
