"The House of The Devil" Review

"The House of The Devil"

Directed by Ti West
Starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, Dee Wallace

RATING
9/10

The idea of horror movies actually existing in modern times that may be considered cult classics is so surreal and uncanny to horror fans, because, let's be honest, most of them still live in the past and enjoy the glory days of "The Exorcist" and "The Shining" without paying much due to new films that are actually just as great. "The House of The Devil" is one of those films, and it blurs the lines between old school and new school scares, just in case the horror fans lash out and disregard the film as nothing more than a fanboy horror filmmakers wet dream, which it is, but in a very good way. Sure, other modern horrors like "Drag Me To Hell", "Insidious", "Sinister" or "The Descent" are all equally thrilling in that they could potentially be future classics within the genre, but I feel "The House of The Devil" is already a few steps ahead of them all.

 

Set sometime in the 80's, this seemingly true story is about a new college student, Samantha, who agrees to a babysitting job in order to earn some money to buy a new apartment. She reluctantly accepts, despite the advertiser sounding very strange on the phone. Samantha and her friend travel to the deep, dark woods until they come across a large house, where they meet the odd owners. As it turns out, it wasn't a babysitting job after all, but a set-up for something much more sinister.

 

Right off the bat, I will tell you the film is about satanic cults. That isn't a spoiler, it's pretty much in the synopsis for every movie website, and literally in the opening five seconds. I don't know what it is about movies that portray some sort of satanic or pagan cult, but it always gets under my skin if done well. Example, the ritual scene in "Eyes Wide Shut" and or the sweet and innocent but mentally unstable community in "The Wicker Man". What "The House of The Devil" does so masterfully is build up suspense to an absolutely frightening height, that watching it feels like you're walking a tight rope. Credit for this goes to writer/director Ti West, who I have confirmed in my books as one of the modern horror elite (which includes James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Scott Derrickson, Sam Raimi, and hopefully Fede Alvarez if "Evil Dead" goes smoothly). The film aesthetically very impressive as it adopts an 80's vibe and tone throughout, even presenting the same grainy and flashy qualities of the cameras used in those times. If I didn't know any better, I would immediately think this was a film made in 1985. And to the films credit, it works surprisingly well given that these events actually took place in the 80's. The exquisite attention to detail is what impressed me the most, especially clothing as basic as "mom jeans" being worn by the teenagers and slices of pizza being the size of a basketball. I don't know if that still is a standard size in America, but it doesn't look as appetizing now then it did back then.

 

As I mentioned earlier, the films strength lies in how well it builds up suspense and mystery. Leading up until the last 15 minutes of the film, the rest plays out like an intricate Agatha Christie novel, only you don't have ten misguided characters playing a game of real-life "Clue". It's only Samantha, the house, and the enigmatic old lady upstairs who keeps to her privacy. Yet it's rich in complexity in a very unconventional horror way. Samantha is a girl whom you deeply care about despite her typically being the joyless bookworm teenager found in most horror films. Her journey through the dark and mysterious places of the house lead her to uncover some horrific secrets, but what West does particularly well is only partially revealing those secrets as he takes his sweet time to unravel the mysteries of this satanic residence. It's a brave juggling act that Hitchcock perfected where not all is shown, and you are only fed bits and pieces, and because of this it keeps on sucking you into the plot. Combine that with a keen directorial eye for the ingeniously intense pacing and atmosphere, and you got a horror film that fires on all cylinders. I won't even get too deep into the last 15 minutes of this film for fear of spoiling anything, but it solidified my fear of satanic cults for the rest of my life, and is undeniably one of the most chilling climaxes I've seen in any horror film. Rarely, pay-offs in horror don't happen as immaculately terrifying as this. Be warned, your guard will be dropped and your sense of security completely demolished.

 

"The House of The Devil" is a modern horror masterwork that benefits from a perfect cast of weirdos, a viscerally pleasing 80's aesthetic, razorblade tension and suspense, and an unpologetically eye-opening climax that will get your heart racing faster than Usain Bolt in a 100 meter dash. If you're looking for old-school scares and a flare for the ominous, "The House of The Devil" is something that should be experienced and remembered.