Battlemouth

Finding a good horror film is a rare and joyous occasion in today’s world. For big genre-fans like me, we must wade through endless amounts of terrible and embarrassing flicks just to occasionally find that one film that will make it all worthwhile. The House Of The Devil is a film that has once again reaffirmed my love for horror.

Set in the 1980s, The House Of The Devil is a story about stressed out college sophomore Samantha. Samantha is desperately trying to find away to afford her new dream apartment, but financial worries mixed with Samantha’s slovenly roommate give her plenty to worry about. To try and make some extra cash Samantha decides to call about a babysitting job she sees on a flyer. The job takes her into the middle of the woods with an extremely odd family on the night of a full lunar eclipse.

That is plenty of set up for the film. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything. I actually found the plot extremely engaging. Throughout the film I was constantly on the edge of my seat attempting to solve the mystery. I couldn’t wait until the next scene to find out what was going to happen! A story so interesting in a horror film is extremely rare. In the era of “torture porn” (think Hostel), it is very gratifying to watch a film that uses its story and some good directing to create a genuinely scary atmosphere. Instead of gross-out violence, the film uses amazingly-composed shots to draw you into the screen rather than turn you away from it. Although this film does center on a woman in peril, it is executed in a way that separates it from today’s garbage horror. Another aspect that helps this film stand out is the cast. It seems to be almost a given that modern horror will contain awful acting. While I don’t think any of the cast should be expecting any awards for their performances, they are surprisingly decent in their roles. Tom Noonan as Mr. Ulman is a great mix of polite gentleman with creepy psychopath.

When I reminisce about this film, I won’t think of it as a genre-defining classic. I will, however, think fondly upon how well the director of the film used classic cinematic devices to actually craft a scary film. Instead of succumbing to the low standards of today’s horror flicks they went back to the basics that made this genre a favorite of fans like myself. I hope that the film-making effort on display in The House of the Devil inspires more people to rise above the status quo for the sake of us real horror lovers.

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