Ti West’s latest film, The House of the Devil, struck a chord with me having grown up in the 
midst of the infamous Satanic Panic. There is an impenetrable psychosexual anxiety surrounding the time that in many ways still haunts me to this day. Oh, and just to be clear, I never believed I was ravaged by the horned god and his stealthy cohorts as hot as that sounds. You need not hark back to the sordid days of satanic sacrifice to fully appreciate West’s film—a masterfully crafted genre piece that perfectly embodies a sense of dread and slow-boiled terror. While the film appears to be plucked out of early 80’s it supersedes a nostalgic nod (though a fun element) with a refreshing take on the Final Girl in his character study of Samantha (Jocelin Donahue).
Like most college students, Samantha is broke and wants to escape the dorm life. She finds the perfect apartment but doesn’t have enough money to make the move. Against her better judgment and the advice of her goofy friend (Greta Gerwig), she accepts a job working for a strange couple. Of course, things turn out even worse than Samantha had imagined.
Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov are brilliant as Mr. and Mrs. Ulman, the couple that hires Samantha to ‘babysit’ for one night in their iconically creepy house. And it’s the house that West skillfully taunts us with—imbuing everyday objects with the absolute dread we feel as Samantha explores every nook and cranny. Staircases creak, drains hiss and telephones scream—all harbingers of a dark message that the title alone delivers. This is no ordinary house.
West’s ability to deliver incredibly tense sequences à la static shots, odd angles and long takes is smartly executed. Voyeuristic angles amp up the fear factor and force the viewer into an uncomfortable perspective as well as provide for small opportunities to partake in Samantha and pal’s understated allure.
The Ulmans, Dee Wallace (The Howling) and AJ Bowen (The Signal) are not the only ones making cameo appearances in the film. West pays a respectful nod by way of the soundtrack, the ‘Frightmare Theater’ TV show, a Night of the Living Dead clip and Samantha’s ritual gown (To the Devil a Daughter) among others.
Aside from having some of the coolest posters ever, the choice to release the film on Video on Demand before it hit theaters was a clever one. The House of the Devil is that gem you might find hidden in the dusty shelves of your local video store making it perfect for repeated home viewing.
The House of the Devil won’t please splatter-happy horror fans looking for a quick fix but West’s unique and moody approach simmers up one of the best horror flicks I have seen this year. The film will be in theaters October 30.
Images: Magnolia Pictures
[...] episode web series, Dead & Lonely, written, produced and directed by indie filmmaker Ti West (The House Of The Devil). The series will premiere on IFC.com, Monday, October 26 at Midnight ET/PT. Each additional [...]
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You’re a really terrific writer, hon. What a great review!
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[...] The House of the Devil is coming out October 30 and we need your support. Dead & Lonely comes out October 26 so you have a double threat coming from me and I hope people enjoy it. [...]
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[...] The House of the Devil was probably my favorite horror film of 2009. You can read my full review here or learn more about West by checking out my interview with him. The film hits DVD and Blu-ray on [...]
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[...] case you missed out on the film, get up to speed with my review about Sam (Jocelin Donahue), the college cutie who is so desperate for cash that she accepts a [...]
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[...] to see more from, it would be Ti West. He blew me away with his satanic, 80’s throwback The House of the Devil and wooed me with his web series, Dead & Lonely. Now he’s dishing up a story about a [...]
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thank you! xo
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