Review: The House of the Devil

Horror has stagnated.  The usual horror film of late is some squeaky clean bloodbath or a remake lacking anything that made its source material so good.  Development, plot and character, has gone the way of the dodo bird.  Not to say that horror is complete shit, but the generic popcorn flick is, no pun intended, horrible.  Now here we have The House of the Devil.  Everything that the last twenty years killed is suddenly resurrected and walking around like its new.  Director Ti West shows obvious reverence for the films of yore, with the film taking nods from such classics as Rosemary’s Baby and Black Christmas while finding a kindred spirit in its contemporary Let the Right One In.

Right from the get go this film grabbed me.  Call it nostalgia, but most things 80’s win me over.  Satanic cults? Sold. Traditional doe eyed female protagonist lured to her potential doom?  Got me.  Devil has all the trappings of some of the most celebrated horror films of the 70’s and 80’s and it does this without actually feeling like a “new” movie.  Even more interestingly is that it doesn’t feel like the homage that it is.  To the casual viewer it could very well be a hidden gem from those decades.  To a viewer aware of its intention it still feels like a Generation X obscurity.  Granted, Devil does have its time period hiccups, but those are lost in the 80’s heyday at hand.  I was very comfortable watching this.

The protagonist, Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) is the centerpiece of this film, appearing in almost every scene.  Initially coming off as a damsel, when the shit hits the pentagram fan, she comes back with claws and teeth.  Devil isn’t about contemporary commentary, though it certainly pays homage to Christian fears of its temporal setting.  It has a generally simple narrative, with the opening scene juxtaposing itself with the main plot.  Its not overly obvious, but the film conducts itself, quite refreshingly, on not spelling everything out for the audience.  You are forced to notice it, listen to it, and then comprehend its nuances. The characters pander on about seemingly useless day-to-day trivialities, when really every piece of dialogue is a buildup for the next.  The dialogue draws you in.  Devil isn’t a thinking man’s horror film, but it most certainly isn’t for cheap thrill seekers either.

Ti West’s direction is what makes this movie.  Devil is a love letter to nostalgia that reads like bleak poetry.  West keeps the most subtle air of tension throughout and even though the ending is abrupt it is nonetheless shocking.  Everything before the finale is so steeped in realism and familiarity that once it comes it is like being immersed in a nightmare.  The slow pacing immediately reaches a frenetic crescendo.  The long camera pans shift to dynamic shots accompanied by laborious music.  Donahue’s Samantha is suddenly thrust from being a college student into being the victim of Satanists.  Samantha spends most of the film (rudely) exploring the house, giving us a panoramic view of the house and some insight into its denizens.  Even though we are made familiar with the house, everything reaches an ethereal level that trounces any previous exposition.

Devil features a superb cast.  Aside from the convincing performance given by Donahue, we are given strong appearances by a handful of horror veterans. Tom Noonan, familiar to horror fans as the main antagonist of Manhunter and Frankenstein in The Monster Squad, plays the soft and well spoken Mr. Ullman.  His wife, Mrs. Ullman, is portrayed by Mary Woronov, who acted in Night of the Comet,Warlock, and Death Race 2000.  Dee Wallace, whose hit list includes The Howling, The Hills Have Eyes, and the Halloween remake, makes a charming cameo in the film’s opening.  Greta Gerwig is a delight as Samantha’s raunchy and concerned friend, Megan, who happens to suffer a real bang of a death.  Each performance, however short or long, is well executed and adds to the nostalgia of the grand scheme.

The House of the Devil may not be the most terrifying film on the block, but it knows how to build tension and a story.  Deft and subtle storytelling rewards the viewer’s patience all the while treating them to some old school filmmaking.  Any fan of the films it draws its inspiration from should check this out.  If you like scaring your uptight Christian friend with some delightful blasphemy then check this out.  If you simply like movies, check this out.  No matter what the situation or what you think is your cup of tea, The House of the Devil is a stunning masterstroke that hearkens back to times when horror was just simply better.