The House of the Devil (2009)
All the reviews keep calling this so effectively retro, that some have mistaken it for actually being filmed in the 80s. I would agree, but there's just a little 1990s going on, instead of 1970s. It's nothing that can be precisely pointed out, but every once in a while something slips and I'm thinking of the next decade.
That's just me being nitpicky. Enjoy the flashback.
The last half hour finally picks up, finally starts adding blood to the formula, and some good ol' fashioned devil worship. It's not too little too late, but it's certainly not enough to bail out the whole film. You can see the twist coming at the end, but because it's not a Shyamalan twist, I kept from throwing the DVD out the window (which is especially good, because I borrowed the DVD for the blog).
Pacing is good enough. Like the actual films from the era. It's missing some of that coke-addled whimsy that you find in that era's films... which might be why I'm smelling the '90s in this. We got a whole lot less whimsical around then.
So when I say this, I mean it sincerely. Ti West? Stop directing. Maybe not forever, but at least until you pull out of mediocrity, or hone your skills on shorts (like the 'V/H/S' short).
Would I watch this again? No.
Would I own it? No.
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