Review: House of the Devil
October 31st 2009 23:57
Happy Halloween!
House of the Devil (2009, Ti West)
Like the recent Paranormal Activity, House of the Devil invokes the spirit of old school horror. Taking place in the 1980’s, the entire setting and style of the film is retro, from the opening credits’ big yellowish font to the grainy quality of the film to the lead character’s walkman and headphones. Also like Paranormal Activity, the film unfolds slowly, taking its time to setup the characters and circumstances. Further, most of the action does not occur until the last 40 minutes or so. The pacing to the film is perfect; slow and deliberate. We are introduced to Samantha Hughes, a young college student who is moving into an apartment near campus but only has $84 dollars in her bank account. Though never officially confirmed, it is safe to assume that the film takes place during the beginning of winter break. Samantha is a sophomore and has just viewed a one bedroom apartment. The landlady is extraordinarily nice and is willing to wave the deposits as long as she pays one month in full ($300) come Monday.
It’s also safe to assume Samantha has no family to go home to, although we don’t learn anything about her backstory. In an attempt to make some fast cash, Samantha calls the number she finds on the campus announcement board which simply states, “Baby $itter Needed”. Samantha leaves a message on an answering machine, only to get a call back immediately to the pay phone from which she used. As if that wasn’t weird enough, she’s then asked to meet in front of the student activities center, only to be stood up for hours.
Samantha eventually gets to the House in question, but not without some fateful help from her best friend. When she arrives, she encounters a weird and slightly terrifying couple, even before learning of their true intentions. After being mislead as to exactly what type of “babysitting” job she signed up for, she’s offered more money to stay. “$300”, he says. That’s exactly what she needs for her apartment. But wait. “Make it $400.” Might as well get everything she can, right? Samantha is rather likeable and down to earth; another film featuring a great naturalistic performance by an unknown. Never does one question the authenticity of Jocelin Donahue‘s acting because it never felt as such. From her subtle crying in the dorm bathroom to her carefree dancing around the Devil filled House, she is always at ease and comfortable in her role. Hopefully, this will be a star-making performance.
The film’s build up continues and keeps the viewer guessing exactly what will go down and when. Though mostly shown from the protagonist’s point of view, we do experience a few scenes through the eye of the omnipresent camera; these prove to be rather shocking. House of the Devil contains a decent amount of blood and violence in its final act and the payoff is satisfying, as is the classic horror feel of the film’s final scene.
Overall, House of the Devil completely invokes the feel of the 1980’s, as well as classic suspense thrillers such as the original The Haunting and Halloween, and even Psycho.
House of the Devil (2009, Ti West)
Like the recent Paranormal Activity, House of the Devil invokes the spirit of old school horror. Taking place in the 1980’s, the entire setting and style of the film is retro, from the opening credits’ big yellowish font to the grainy quality of the film to the lead character’s walkman and headphones. Also like Paranormal Activity, the film unfolds slowly, taking its time to setup the characters and circumstances. Further, most of the action does not occur until the last 40 minutes or so. The pacing to the film is perfect; slow and deliberate. We are introduced to Samantha Hughes, a young college student who is moving into an apartment near campus but only has $84 dollars in her bank account. Though never officially confirmed, it is safe to assume that the film takes place during the beginning of winter break. Samantha is a sophomore and has just viewed a one bedroom apartment. The landlady is extraordinarily nice and is willing to wave the deposits as long as she pays one month in full ($300) come Monday.
It’s also safe to assume Samantha has no family to go home to, although we don’t learn anything about her backstory. In an attempt to make some fast cash, Samantha calls the number she finds on the campus announcement board which simply states, “Baby $itter Needed”. Samantha leaves a message on an answering machine, only to get a call back immediately to the pay phone from which she used. As if that wasn’t weird enough, she’s then asked to meet in front of the student activities center, only to be stood up for hours.
Samantha eventually gets to the House in question, but not without some fateful help from her best friend. When she arrives, she encounters a weird and slightly terrifying couple, even before learning of their true intentions. After being mislead as to exactly what type of “babysitting” job she signed up for, she’s offered more money to stay. “$300”, he says. That’s exactly what she needs for her apartment. But wait. “Make it $400.” Might as well get everything she can, right? Samantha is rather likeable and down to earth; another film featuring a great naturalistic performance by an unknown. Never does one question the authenticity of Jocelin Donahue‘s acting because it never felt as such. From her subtle crying in the dorm bathroom to her carefree dancing around the Devil filled House, she is always at ease and comfortable in her role. Hopefully, this will be a star-making performance.
The film’s build up continues and keeps the viewer guessing exactly what will go down and when. Though mostly shown from the protagonist’s point of view, we do experience a few scenes through the eye of the omnipresent camera; these prove to be rather shocking. House of the Devil contains a decent amount of blood and violence in its final act and the payoff is satisfying, as is the classic horror feel of the film’s final scene.
Overall, House of the Devil completely invokes the feel of the 1980’s, as well as classic suspense thrillers such as the original The Haunting and Halloween, and even Psycho.
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