Review of Open House (2010) by Don S — 15 Dec 2013

Effective in its minimalism, where the sound of a running faucet and unseen footsteps are meant to carry a sense of dread, and oftentimes they do. This rigid atmosphere gives the several quick bloody encounters an extra amplification of shock.

Between Number Six on Battlestar Galactica and her similar-but-different role here, Tricia Helfer has perfected playing the role of manipulative seductress, while her partner Brian Geraghty portrays a silently scary psychotic all too convincingly, reinforced by his striking resemblance to the pudgy blond home invader in the original Funny Games right down to the collared white shirt.

Their strange strained relationship provides a layer of interest rarely seen in a horror/thriller, and captive Rachel Blanchard slowly begins to see a rift that she may be able to exploit. The ending came as a surprise and rather squeezed me through a ringer.

Bypassing the lone conspicuous flaw - how can this many people disappear without a search leading to their door? - Open House successfully creates and sustains a threatening atmosphere on a shoestring.