Review of The House of the Devil (2009) by Trevor D — 14 Oct 2010

I'm a huge fan of this film. It's a homage to the Horror flicks of the 70's and 80's that revolves around the familiar story of a babysitter alone in a house late at night. The only difference this time around is that writer/director/editor Ti West knows exactly what true horror fans want to see.

We are so sick of seeing the jump scares and unlimited gore from the "torture porn" today. He introduces us to the innocent heroine, a young college girl in need of money, and throws her into a creepy house where she is left to fend for herself against the evils that live there.

The reason I enjoyed this movie so much is because it really builds up the suspense all the way until the third act, when it finally snaps. The movie does take its sweet time getting to the ending, but it's all about keeping the audience on the edge of their seat.

The payoff is certainly worth the wait, and the wait isn't "boring" like most people might say. The acting and script might lack a little bit, but it somehow never affects the overall tone of the film.

Sometimes the scariest things are what our imaginations conjure up, and West knows that better than most Horror directors today. It might not be extremely original, but The House Of The Devil is a refreshing take on the genre that offers up more than it's fair share of shocks.

True fans of the genre will have a groovy time.