Theatrical Poster
College student Samantha Hughes takes a much needed job babysitting that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. When Samantha shows up for the job she is told there is no child but an old women. She needs to just watch the senior for four hours in order to make 400 dollars but she slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret.
First off I want to say I’m a huge fan of 80′s horror cinema and I have seen just about every horror film made and put on VHS from that era. I love the grainy washed look, whir and musty smell of old VHS tapes. With that said, I feel I know a thing or two about the subject of 1980′s horror. Now many filmmakers have tried to recapture the look and feel of the 80′s with very little success. Then there’s Ti West’s The House of the Devil. Yes even the name sounds 80s! West impressed me with this film so much I wanted to review it right after watching it!
Ti does an amazing job of keeping the film in the 80′s vein without a wink or a nod to the viewers that this is, in fact, a tribute to 80′s horror. I never got the feeling while watching this film that it was anything more then just another horror film but the devil is in the details. From the rock music buttons on Samantha’s backpack to the Tupperware cups in the sink, I could even hear the whine of VHS player’s motor on the 2.0 stereo track!
The film’s look is even 80s with lots of grain and a bit washed out in the dark parts of the film. This all lends itself to a feeling the film gives you and the memories it brings back. Is the film perfect? No but close! If I had to say anything negative I would say that the film’s transfer needed more dirt, blips and grain! Also there’s a fare bit of time before anything really happens but to this reviewer these are nothing compared to what we get as a whole.
Trust me if you are a fan of 1980′s horror and want to see a well-crafted, lovingly made film you can’t beat The House of the Devil.
Nice review, Jin! I love this movie so much!