THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (2009)

3 stars

Second Sight Films. Limited edition and standard edition Blu ray. Out Now

We are in satanic panic territory as the opening screens inform us that during the 80s a large proportion of the American population believed in abusive satanic cults. It is also declared that ‘The following is based on true unexplained events…” honest it is!

A slow tracking shot in on Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) with a tinkling piano soundtrack sets the required mood of the film. She is being shown the home she is renting (the agent is played by Dee Wallace — presumably cast for her marquee value). She is planning to move out of the college dorm, and from her roommate who is often having sex. Seems like a good enough reason. She will need money to secure the place and luckily sees a notice for a babysitter and leaves a message at the phone number on the flyer. Walking away from the pay phone it rings and the man on the other end asks to meet straight away.

She waits and waits and eventually gives up and goes meet her friend Megan (Greta Gerwig) when he doesn’t turn up. Upset she won’t be able to afford things, however, back at her dorm room her sexed up roomie tells her a man called for her. Ringing back, it is Mr Ulman (Tom Nonnan) and he is in dire need of a sitter that night and is willing to pay well.

Megan gives her a lift and offers to stay with her at the remote large house in the middle of nowhere. Mr Ulman greets them both at the front door and invites them in. There is talk of the upcoming eclipse. He explains he can only pay for one sitter but Samantha assures him Megan is just her ride. Then weirdly he admits they don’t have a child — it is for his wife’s mother. He apologises for not telling the truth and offers more money. Result!

There is a growing sense of unease as Samantha is left to her own devices for the evening and she wanders around the large house to explore. She even has a little boogie.

Obviously there is more at play here… There is some kind of mystery to the house. And let’s not forget the mentioned eclipse…

Written directed and edited by Ti West, when I originally saw this at FrightFest when it first came out, I remember thinking nothing really happens, which had been true of his earlier horror THE ROOST. It was almost like a TV movie of the week with added bloodshed. Maybe that was the intent. It wasn’t until his recent X trilogy with Mia Goth, which I loved, that I feel West came into his own.

HOUSE does have its creepy moments and leads to an effective and gory ending. Overall this played better than I remembered it from seeing it originally. It captures the 80s vibe well having been shot on 16mm to give it the appropriate look. Cute lead girl Jocelin Donahue is good and has been in several other horrors including INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 (2013) and DOCTOR SLEEP (2019).

EXTRAS

4 stars

Two audio commentaries: writer–director Ti West & actress Jocelin Donahue/writer-director Ti West, producers Larry Fessenden & Peter Phok and sound designer Graham Reznick

Interviews with director Ti West (19 mins)/actor Jocelin Donahue (17 mins)/actor AJ Bowen (25 mins)/producer Peter Phok (23 mins)/producer Larry Fessenden (27 mins)/Director of Photography Eliot Rockett (13 mins)/composer Jeff Grace (15 mins)/sound designer Graham Reznick (24 mins)

Archival Making of (24 mins) and Archival Behind the Scenes (20 mins)

Deleted Scenes (6 mins)

Trailer (2 mins)

With the Limited Edition you also get Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Nick Charge/70-page book with new essays by Martyn Conterio, Ariel Powers-Schaub, Jerome Reuter and Julieann Stipidis plus Behind the Scenes gallery and six collectors’ art cards