THE NIGHT HOUSE is a Unique Horror Film That Offers Up Some Solid Scares - Sundance Review
Ahhh, Sundance. Mother of so many unique and fun scary movies. Films that have to be creative and unique instead of just being all out slasherific, and The Night House is definitely a unique film that also offers up some legitimate scares.
It’s kinda like the movie Ghost up until the point that’s it’s not anymore and things get crazy sinister. The film follows a woman named Beth (Rebecca Hall) whose husband recently dies, and as she continues to live in the house he built and struggle with her loss, things start to get spooky and that moves into weirdness. And when things hit that weird spot, that is when the film is at its best. There are creepy books about the power of circles; a strange sculpture of a tortured human with nails jabbed in it; Beth finding out her husband had built a second identical house across the lake and had been taking pictures of women who look similar to her. You know, the usual.
There are some great cinematic effects that use the negative space in shots to create spooky figures and then it’s even creepier when the figure in the negative space moves. A great device to make an interesting, mysterious antagonist that honestly, I wish would have been used a little more. The mystery of what is going on is also very compelling. So many different what-ifs, that the film kept getting more interesting as it went on.
Some of the filler scenes felt off, admittedly. A scene near the beginning with her interacting with a parent of one of her students, as well as any scenes with her coworkers are painful to watch. It was like an alien was writing the dialogue. Hall’s portrayal had a weird, angry manic-ness that made the film much harder to sit through in any human interactions she made, but maybe that was the point? The other characters in the film seemed much more sincere and real. Those characters included Beth’s best friend played by Barry’s Sarah Goldberg, the caretaker Mel played by For The People’s Vondie Curtis-Hall, and a bookstore girl, played by Stacey Martin.
One other thing that the film could have done without was the unnecessary jump scares. There was one that was good, but when you put in too many, it loses its touch. Regardless, writer and director David Bruckner (The Signal) did a solid job with the film and telling his dark and demented story.
So, while the movie did sag during the downtime, it definitely picked up whenever things got scary leading to a great last 20 minute finale. Check it out if you are looking for a pretty well crafted subtle scary movie, but maybe take bathroom breaks when people are talking.
Here’s the synopsis:
Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth (Rebecca Hall) is left alone in the lakeside home he built for her. She tries as best she can to keep together—but then the dreams come. Disturbing visions of a presence in the house call to her, beckoning with a ghostly allure. But the harsh light of day washes away any proof of a haunting. Against the advice of her friends, she begins digging into his belongings, yearning for answers. What she finds are secrets both strange and terrible and a mystery she’s determined to resolve.
Returning to the Sundance Film Festival with his latest descent into psychological horror, genre innovator David Bruckner’s new vision teems with superior craftsmanship and ghastly precision, proving him an integral voice in his field. Grounded by an absolutely impeccable performance from the peerless Rebecca Hall, who carries each frame with a weight and nuance that feels effortless, The Night House offers a stunningly effective take on the traditional ghost story, one that lingers with chilling grace.
