Review of The House of the Devil (2009) by Colin G — 25 Jul 2010

Director Ti West does an incredible job paying homage to the horror flicks of the late 70's-80's in this recent effort. From the old school title sequences to the frustrating suspense, I had to check the backside of the DVD case to see when the film was made, just to be sure.

What was appealing to me about this film is that it wasn't exactly a torture film like we're so used to seeing nowadays. No gadgets were binding people to their deathbed and there was no race against the clock to survive.

It was just a good, old fashioned horror flick that one could watch alone in the dark and be completely indulged in. The film does a good job keeping one on edge throughout. To be honest, there isn't a whole lot that happens during the course of the film.

The plot formula is simple and West just teases the audience until he hits them hard with the inevitable climax. I was shocked when that time came. I found myself very uncomfortable as the my mood shifted from tense to petrified in an instant.

I couldn't help but just stare at the screen in awe at what the director was throwing at me. When the final credits started to roll, my mouth was open and I was silent. It's an 80's horror film with a kick that leaves you stranded.

It's that feeling one should get after any good horror film. If you like the works of Carpenter or Kubrick, you may be more than pleased with "The House of the Devil.".