Post by PhantomKnight on Oct 31, 2020 19:07:37 GMT -5
In 2018, Ari Aster announced himself in the world of horror with Hereditary, a movie which proved that the most affecting horror is often rooted in grief and trauma. And now in 2020, debut director Remi Weekes looks to prove that further with his take on the haunted house movie, His House. This is a film I'd been looking forward to ever since I first read about it when it was making Sundance rounds earlier this year, as well as one that wasn't wiped off the schedule by Covid since Netflix was the one to acquire it. And fortunately, it doesn't disappoint.
His House tells the story of Bol and Rial (Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku), a married couple of refugees who escaped South Sudan and are now granted asylum in Britain, but have to live in a rundown house on the outskirts of London. Not long into their stay, however, they begin to become tormented by otherworldly spirits, forces that may have a dark connection to their past.
So as you can see, it's a variation on the haunted house horror movie, but it's both a deeply effective and deeply affecting one. The film definitely feels fresh in its setup, in the way that it infuses the realities of real-life horrific experiences into a classic genre package; in this case, the refugee experience. Much like Ari Aster with Hereditary, Remi Weekes manages to tap into the raw, disturbing and difficult issues at the heart of the plot and mine those to build genuinely creepy, suspenseful and scary horror sequences. Weekes is able to take the standard set ups of characters hearing weird noises and/or creepy whispering in shadowy, low-lit places and through excellent use of cinematography, sound design and editing, craft some sequences that really make your skin crawl and really knows how to use jump scares. And as the movie goes on, things just get more and more intense. His House almost feels like the perfect blend of arthouse and mainstream horror, because Weekes is using some of the more traditional kinds of scare tactics, but enhancing them by having them gradually reveal the tragic backstory that's driving these characters. The set up of the story is also clever in that it effectively forces these characters to have to stay in this house; if it's revealed they're causing problems or being uncooperative with the government, they'll be sent back where they came from.
But really, what surprised me most of all about this movie is just how emotionally involving it becomes by the end The Third Act in particular proves to be very powerful as we finally come to understand the circumstances of how Bol and Rial came to London, as well as other integral things to the plot. A lot of that power comes from the lead performances of Dirisu and Mosaku, who do a fantastic job of selling Bol and Rial's plight and remaining sympathetic even when the movie reveals their flaws. Throughout the movie, we're really invested in their outcome. Said outcome, by the way, is great because it beautifully ties into the film's overall message.
His House feels like the sort of horror movie that'll satisfy both crowds of horror fans. It rides the line between the arthouse and mainstream camps impressively and offers a unique take on a tried and true premise. And here in 2020, it's one of the best movies I've seen this year.
****/****
