The House of the Devil
Dark Sky Films/Glass Eye Pix
R
95 Minutes
2009
As a product of the eighties, I have a special appreciation for writer/director Ti West's The House of the Devil. Here is an independent horror film that is made to look and feel like the slow-burn/big-payoff horror films of decades past, and it succeeds admirably. It's ironic that by going back several decades makes the movie feel fresher than the modern schlock that passes for horror these days. It's not for everyone, but those who grew up in the early days of John Carpenter will likely find themselves reminiscing about the good old days by the time it's through.
Jocelin Donahue plays Samantha, a sophomore in college who has just closed the deal on her first house. She's a renter, but it's still a step up from the dorms. There's just one problem: she's not sure how she's going to pay for it. After seeing an ad on the campus bulletin board for a babysitter, Samantha is eventually hired by the off-putting and notably creepy Ulmans. Sam and her friend Megan (Greta Gerwig) drive to the Ulman's posh house, where Mr. Ulman (Tom Noonan) confesses the job is not what it seems. In truth, he's looking for someone to make sure his elderly mother-in-law is OK while he and his wife (Mary Woronov) go out to witness the full lunar eclipse that has the whole town buzzing.
A reluctant Sam manages to extort $400 for one night's work, but Megan, feeling deceived, leaves her best friend. As the night wears on, all manner of strange noises begin to erode Samantha's resolve and her sanity, and she awakes from a blackout to discover she is the sacrificial lamb in a Satanic ritual.
The House of the Devil is vintage 80s horror. Everything about the film screams the 80s; the feathered hair, rotary telephones, the new wave opening credits song, the 16mm film stock it was shot on, and most importantly, the pacing. The idea is to build a feeling of constant dread with subtly unsettling scenes instead of the "gotcha" scares we've all become so used to. Apart from one gory death midway through the picture, nothing much of apparent significance happens as Samantha explores the Ulman house. It's more the sum of a series of small events that slowly begin to eat away at her, and hopefully the audience.
Those who grew up with films like Saw as their frame of reference for horror will undoubtedly find this approach boring, and truthfully, even seasoned horror veterans won't find much to make them shiver - but the latter group will likely at least appreciate West's efforts. The pacing is actually quite immaculate for the type of horror film it's trying to emulate, and the Ulman's residence is filled with shadowy corners that would surely be unnerving to anyone inside.
The film's big payoff is where the action lies. It's most assuredly gory as all get out, and the quick flashes of a demonic visage bring to mind the almost-subliminal frames of Captain Howdy, the infamously terrifying demon that possesses Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist. Again, fans of modern horror won't find it worth all the painstaking waiting, but those weened on classic horror like Kubrick's The Shining will appreciate the slow buildup to the over-the-top ending.
Praise should also be levied at the film's small cast. Donahue is convincing as Samantha, but Gerwig is terrific playing her best friend Megan. Noonan, however, steals the show, even with his limited screen time. Perhaps best known for his role as Frances Dolarhyde in Michael Mann's Manhunter, the first adaptation of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon novel, Noonan is a picture of unsettling calm. His soft, hollow voice, deliberate movements, and somewhat vacant, disconnected stare hint at his diabolical nature and would have been enough on their own to send me running from his house.
The House of the Devil is a love-letter to the horror films of yesteryear, much in the same way Sam Raimi's exquisitely cheesy Drag Me To Hell paid homage to his earlier work in b-movies. If you're as tired of found-footage, torture-based, and by-the-numbers Japanese-to-American remakes as I am, this might be just the thing to prove the genre hasn't grown stagnant - you just need to look outside of the Hollywood system. Certainly it is a polarizing movie - largely praised by professional critics, and largely derided by the average viewer for, oddly enough, the same reason: its slow pace. Younger horror fans who are used to the modern style of gore and torture will hate it, but The House of the Devil hearkens back to a simpler time that is sure to appeal to old schoolers.
A reluctant Sam manages to extort $400 for one night's work, but Megan, feeling deceived, leaves her best friend. As the night wears on, all manner of strange noises begin to erode Samantha's resolve and her sanity, and she awakes from a blackout to discover she is the sacrificial lamb in a Satanic ritual.
The House of the Devil is vintage 80s horror. Everything about the film screams the 80s; the feathered hair, rotary telephones, the new wave opening credits song, the 16mm film stock it was shot on, and most importantly, the pacing. The idea is to build a feeling of constant dread with subtly unsettling scenes instead of the "gotcha" scares we've all become so used to. Apart from one gory death midway through the picture, nothing much of apparent significance happens as Samantha explores the Ulman house. It's more the sum of a series of small events that slowly begin to eat away at her, and hopefully the audience.
Those who grew up with films like Saw as their frame of reference for horror will undoubtedly find this approach boring, and truthfully, even seasoned horror veterans won't find much to make them shiver - but the latter group will likely at least appreciate West's efforts. The pacing is actually quite immaculate for the type of horror film it's trying to emulate, and the Ulman's residence is filled with shadowy corners that would surely be unnerving to anyone inside.
The film's big payoff is where the action lies. It's most assuredly gory as all get out, and the quick flashes of a demonic visage bring to mind the almost-subliminal frames of Captain Howdy, the infamously terrifying demon that possesses Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist. Again, fans of modern horror won't find it worth all the painstaking waiting, but those weened on classic horror like Kubrick's The Shining will appreciate the slow buildup to the over-the-top ending.
Praise should also be levied at the film's small cast. Donahue is convincing as Samantha, but Gerwig is terrific playing her best friend Megan. Noonan, however, steals the show, even with his limited screen time. Perhaps best known for his role as Frances Dolarhyde in Michael Mann's Manhunter, the first adaptation of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon novel, Noonan is a picture of unsettling calm. His soft, hollow voice, deliberate movements, and somewhat vacant, disconnected stare hint at his diabolical nature and would have been enough on their own to send me running from his house.
The House of the Devil is a love-letter to the horror films of yesteryear, much in the same way Sam Raimi's exquisitely cheesy Drag Me To Hell paid homage to his earlier work in b-movies. If you're as tired of found-footage, torture-based, and by-the-numbers Japanese-to-American remakes as I am, this might be just the thing to prove the genre hasn't grown stagnant - you just need to look outside of the Hollywood system. Certainly it is a polarizing movie - largely praised by professional critics, and largely derided by the average viewer for, oddly enough, the same reason: its slow pace. Younger horror fans who are used to the modern style of gore and torture will hate it, but The House of the Devil hearkens back to a simpler time that is sure to appeal to old schoolers.
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