Review of The House of the Devil (2009) by Dan C — 06 Aug 2013

After seeing Ti West's contribution to the uneven V/H/S, I just had to check out one of his features, and House of the Devil was a good place to start. Usually I can't stand deliberate attempts at revival of old styles, but despite some mere superficialities like the intro (plus the killer theme), it seems contemporary enough.

The focus on Satanism, a staple of 70s and 80s horror, is refreshing in this age of torture and slasher retreads; I would go so far to say that this will become a classic of that subgenre. I certainly enjoyed this little confection better than the Omen, and its ending is classic pessimism in the vein of Rosemary's Baby.

Along with the suffocating suspense and subject matter of the old classics is the presence of contemporary blunt, graphic, and detailed gore, which I enjoyed immensely. Its not the most violent movie by any stretch, but in its violence it pulls no punches, an excellent marriage of old and new.

As much as Satanic cults and ghosts frighten, gorey violence, done well, is simply a powerful ingredient in any horror. Though I loved this flick and have a lot of respect for Ti West's approach, it seems he might be developing a tic, which in his work manifests itself as a long suspensful stretch followed by an explosion of bloody chaos, just like V/H/S's Second Honeymoon.

We'll see after I get my hands on the Innkeepers.