The House of the Devil Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A girl thinks she is going to a typical babysitting gig only to discover much more than she bargained for.

Review: I've read a lot of negative reviews for this film which really baffles me, because I don't think I have ever watched another movie that so perfectly captured the tone, style, and look of classic '70s and '80s horror. From the moment you start this bad boy up it's like going back in time, and the first time I saw this I had to make sure of the date as I didn't know much about the film's background. Sadly, this homage has created a divide for those that appreciate it and those that find it slow and boring; it's a love it or hate it kind of situation with little wiggle room. I can see why the slow burn would upset the casual viewer, but reading so-called horror fans not even appreciate this facet is nonsensical. You can hate the story all you want, but how can you call yourself a horror fan and knock the film for implementing tried and true strategies from the past? Whatever, I think this movie is great and successfully pulls off the nostalgic presentation it was striving for down to the finest detail. My only gripe is with the abrupt and disappointing ending; there's such epic buildup and tension with terrible follow-through.

From the moment the movie gets rolling you immediately become sucked into the time period portrayed; it's tough to say the exact year of the setting, maybe 1983, but aesthetically everything feels more '70s-ish. The credits, the film quality, the camera techniques and choice of shots, and even the tiniest of details regarding the props get special attention for accuracy; the level of immersion is simply amazing in every regard. The story is relatively basic, but it takes its time to progress with little tidbits that keep the audience unsettled as they know the main girl, Samantha, is walking into a bad situation. I want to mention that Jocelin Donahue, who plays Samantha, does an incredible job and captures that girl next door vibe notorious from movies of the era. It doesn't hurt that she's cute as hell too, and I would hope with a bit role in "Insidious: Chapter 2" that will lead to us seeing more of her in the horror genre. Moving along...Samantha needs money fast, because she has arranged to rent a house to get away from her annoying dorm roommate, and this results in her calling a number listed on a job bulletin in regards to babysitting for the night. Samantha uses a payphone on her college campus, but somehow the guy she called is able to call back immediately; keep in mind this would have been highly unusual back in those days--weird even today. The guy says he wants to meet Samantha at the school but is a no show, thus, leading to a depressed Samantha hanging out with her friend, Megan, over pizza. PIZZA! Just the utterance of the word makes me want it!

Later on, Samantha learns that the babysitting guy called her dorm while she was out and is still interested in having her babysit and is offering $100! Damn, that's a shitload for back then...not too bad today either. Fuck, I could have bought the G.I. Joe U.S.S. Flagg with that money! Samantha gets Megan to drop her off at the house, but Megan reveals that the reason why Samantha probably got the call back was because she ripped down all the other flyers from the bulletin boards. This is probably a good time to mention that the film has a preface regarding the fear of satanism in the '80s and this night has a major eclipse, so you kind of suspect what shenanigans awaits Samantha. I found it interesting that they knew enough about the phenomenon to know that people claimed satanists would choose houses in close proximity to graveyards to make it easier to gather material for their rituals. Don't worry though, if satanism was ever too widespread you can count on Sam, Dean, and me to take care of things. From the moment Samantha and Megan arrive, you know things are not what they seem with the intimidating Tom Noonan playing the guy on the phone, Mr. Ulman. Mr. Ulman has a few caveats for the job: he wants Megan to leave claiming he doesn't have the money to pay both yet is willing to offer Samantha $400 for the night through haggling, and there is no kid but instead an old lady to watch. Megan does leave, but not before expressing how worried she is about Samantha given the lies already told and the too good to be true nature of the circumstances. Samantha doesn't drive too far, deciding to smoke a cigarette, when she is approached by a shady guy. The guy makes pointless small talk before asking if she's the babysitter. When she says no he shoots her in the head quite unexpectedly. Didn't your mom ever tell you not to talk to strangers...especially in a fucking graveyard at night?!

Back at the house we get a bigger impression of the creepiness that is Mr. Ulman as well as his wife. Both use selective dialogue with foreshadowing especially in regards to the eclipse. When they finally leave Mr. Ulman stresses to get pizza...pizza...pizza. This is when the slow burn really kicks in as Samantha wanders around the mansion-esque home. The tension and atmosphere are wonderful though as you never know if something will appear in the shadows or when the camera shifts; although, it would have been nice if at least once there was a shadowy figure. I can see why some may find this not scary and boring, but I liked the idea of not knowing if someone or thing was about to jump out. It's not as though there aren't suspicious items that catch Samantha's attention anyway like the clumps of hair in the tub or the photos of people that aren't the Ulmans. You also have the fact that the pizza guy is the same guy that killed Megan, you know the phones are being manipulated, and that there sure as hell is no granny chilling out upstairs which can be intense when Samantha hears the floor creaking. And best for last, you do see what became of, what would appear to be, the real family of the home; the parents are killed and the young son is carved up and posed in a satanic ritual. Oh no, what will become of our dear Samantha?

After finally realizing there's something strange happening, Samantha goes to check on that old lady when the lights go out. She notices the shadow of feet pacing back under the door, but Samantha passes out because the pizza was drugged or something. No, not the pizza! That's just a low blow. When Samantha awakens she has been stripped of most of her clothes and is clad in all white probably to emphasize that they want a young virgin for the ritual. There was mention of another girl that "didn't work out" so maybe there was another reason why they were determined to keep Samantha. Samantha is tied to the floor with satanic symbols and paraphernalia strewn about, and Mr. and Mrs. Ulman appear covered in black robes accompanied by the pizza guy and some freakish creature/person. This thing begins to draw symbols on Samantha with blood before cutting its own wrist and pouring blood into a ram's skull that Samantha is forced to drink. Since these are the worst satanists ever, Samantha easily gets free and starts kicking their asses. Okay, I'm not saying she turns into Neo or anything, but as each person tries to capture her she manages to kill them fairly easily. Eventually a wounded Mr. Ulman pursues Samantha into that graveyard nearby telling her there's nothing she can do to stop what they've done to her. It would seem the satanists have impregnated her with a demon, devil, antichrist, etc. For some reason Samantha decides she will shoot herself to prevent this. We then cut to Samantha magically alive in a hospital with a TV on explaining that the eclipse ended mysteriously faster than scientifically possible, and we see a nurse rub Samantha's stomach saying they "both" will be fine. Eh, I kind of understand that Samantha may have been depressed enough that she wouldn't hesitate with suicide the way most would, but, still, couldn't there have been more going on to lead into this scene? Likewise, it feels too fast when factoring in the considerable buildup to this moment. Oh well.

While I was disappointed with that ending, feeling as though a lot is left to be desired and the payoff isn't quite there, I can't ignore the overwhelming amount of cool aspects that compensate for this. I've watched countless films try to emulate the imagination of the '70s and '80s but most fail miserably. You can't just use the setting or try and use lingo you saw on "I love the 80s." There's so much more beyond those surface features that most overlook and "The House of the Devil" not only understood it but nailed it perfectly. More so, the general atmosphere is engaging and Samantha makes for a commendable lead who would have starred in this kind of film. Sure there could have been an added layer of depth, perhaps regarding the satanism, but the straightforward storytelling was true to the era. I do highly recommend this film, but it's definitely not for everyone as it's sort of an acquired taste even to horror veterans. I would say give it a chance with an open mind and hopefully you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was when I first saw it.

Notable Moment: When Megan's face goes bye bye. It comes out of nowhere and takes you completely off guard.

Final Rating: 7/10