Review of I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016) by Al H — 27 Oct 2016
A tone poem-ish mood piece dressed up with the trappings of the genre, I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE is certainly inspired by some of the more esoteric and deliberate horror tales, rather than the more roller coaster-y ones.
It's a deeply idiosyncratic movie; director Perkins displays a clear authorial voice, and the film feels like a fairly complete vision. It's artfully shot, with some haunting and beautiful visual moments; indeed, there's almost a dreamlike quality to the thing much of the time.
Ruth Wilson is very good in the lead role, and that's key - so often you'll find (in movies where the tone is a little off-kilter) that characters don't behave as real people would, but Wilson is always believable throughout.
The film's slow going nature will probably leave many viewers cold, and that's understandable; most of the first half of the movie is deliberately paced to a fault, and it's only in the second half that things start to take a turn for the sinister.
Even then, though, it's not really enough, and the movie never quite achieves a satisfyingly frightening level. I can't recommend it as a horror film, but I appreciate the intention behind it.
This review of I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016) was written by Al H on 27 Oct 2016.
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House has generally received mixed reviews.
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