Critic Reviews
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David Jenkins, Time Out
The film's nostalgic design is subtle enough not to dampen the seriously sinister atmospherics.
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J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
In keeping with his models, West is concerned with not suspense exactly but the ritual withholding and ultimate lavishing of bloody chaos.
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Ty Burr, Boston Globe
West, a rising young director of minor cult pleasures, comes clean here about his love for all things Bava (Mario) and Carpenter (John).
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Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
There's a payoff in The House of the Devil, if you have the patience. Some of the scenes seem draggy, but the characters are complex, and their motivations are explained.
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Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Even the familiar tropes of The House of the Devil are familiar in the right way, like an old, bloodstained sweater.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The film may provide an introduction for some audience members to the Hitchcockian definition of suspense: It's the anticipation, not the happening, that's the fun.
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Cole Abaius, Film School Rejects
The problem with it, and with House of the Devil, is that it's mostly pedestrian stuff leading to a pay off that's just not enough.
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Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters
Sam's end is disturbing but also banal, even silly, but the end is not the point. The point is your anticipation.
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Sean Edgar, Paste Magazine
The House of the Devil isn't just a movie: it's an experience. It joins the league of Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist and The Omen as one of the most diabolical entries in the modern horror library.
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Jen Yamato, Movies.com
In this era of torture porn and slasher pics, House of the Devil is a shining example of how to build atmosphere and tension the old-fashioned way.
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Josh Ralske, TV Guide's Movie Guide
If you don't get a kick out of watching doomed babysitter Samantha put on that portable cassette player and dance around that creepy house to the strains of the Fixx's "One Thing Leads to Another," you might need a course in Horror Appreciation 101.
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Mark Pfeiffer, Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema
Laden with dread and executed with a musician's sense of timing, The House of the Devil is better than a substantial number of the films it resembles.
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Todd Gilchrist, SciFi.com
A virtual refutation of all of the conventions of contemporary horror that manages to be terrifying precisely because it refuses to give you that gratification until you've almost given up wanting it.
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Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm
The sudden climax is a gore-drenched bonanza of Satanic delirium that seems to be making up for the calm that came before, if not spoofing the very idea of cinematic payoff.
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Simon Miraudo, Quickflix
Now this is how you make a scary movie. The House of the Devil is a delicious throwback to the golden era of Hollywood horror -- one that is unapologetically earnest and overwhelmingly committed to the task at hand.
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Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
It's full of meat and marrow. I'm going in again.
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David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...there's simply never a point at which the almost distractingly uneventful narrative becomes as compelling as one might've hoped.
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Nigel Andrews, Financial Times
The pay-off is a little far-fetched, but by then we have had our emotional workout.
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Tom Seymour, Little White Lies
The power of this film lies in the approach to the inevitable final act, rather than the realisation of the act itself.
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Jamie Russell, Radio Times
The finale descends into predictable mayhem, but it's the build-up that'll haunt you.
Read all 25 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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Oh I absolutely loved this movie. It's a brilliant throwback to the old days of horror where the most terrifying thing was what wasn't on screen, rather than what is on screen and splattered all over the place. It was made in 2009, but looks so genuinely authentic for when… More
Oh I absolutely loved this movie. It's a brilliant throwback to the old days of horror where the most terrifying thing was what wasn't on screen, rather than what is on screen and splattered all over the place. It was made in 2009, but looks so genuinely authentic for when it takes place you would swear they shot it in the 70's. Even the titles and music match. I don't want to give anything away, but this film has many surprises in store and if you are a lover of horror films you have to watch it.
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Very smartly constructed horror homage/horrifyingly stupid, sadly underdeveloped 80s flick
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Created in the vain of 80s style horror (really slow zooms and all), 'House of the Devil' does a excedingly good job of building suspense for about 80 minutes only to blow it during the climax stage of the narrative. Unfortunate really as what it started of as seemed like a… More
Created in the vain of 80s style horror (really slow zooms and all), 'House of the Devil' does a excedingly good job of building suspense for about 80 minutes only to blow it during the climax stage of the narrative. Unfortunate really as what it started of as seemed like a masterclass in horror.
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What a entertaining and nostalgic horror film this is. With a single blow director Ti West improved himself light years from his earlier features with this film. The House of the Devil shows that mixing art with slasher is still possible. I haven't seen horror film like this… More
What a entertaining and nostalgic horror film this is. With a single blow director Ti West improved himself light years from his earlier features with this film. The House of the Devil shows that mixing art with slasher is still possible. I haven't seen horror film like this since the golden age of 70's and 80's.
Back then directors like Brian De Palma and David Cronenberg were masters of horror. They made pure genre-films and injected them with their own visual style and trademarks. The same goes for director/writer/editor Ti West who finally has found his own voice as a director.
It is such a relief to see that after twenty years we have a new great voice in horror. Last few years made me almost hate the whole genre. Directors only purpose in horror seemed to only shock audiences with over the top violence and cheap torture porn. Here West shows how to make sophisticated slasher which relies much more to it's eerie atmosphere than gore.
For the first hour he masterfully builds the atmosphere and puts viewer on the edge of the seat. It such a shame that in hte final third West loses the hold of his own story and the film becomes familiar satanic affair.
Everyone who likes vintage horror of 80's should see this film. Actually each and every filmlover should see it. It is a proof that good films can also be made with shoestring budget and minimal setting. The House of the Devil might not be a larger than life film or anything more than a pure fun, but why should it be. It knows exactly what it wants to be and it works mostly the way it is. Ti West is clearly director with a talent and vision.
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Tension builds from the very first shot and that is what marks this homage to retro horror as special, as nothing has even happened yet. Chilling. With tips-of-the-hat along the way to many of the great horror films, fans will enjoy simply guessing/remembering what shots came from… More
Tension builds from the very first shot and that is what marks this homage to retro horror as special, as nothing has even happened yet. Chilling. With tips-of-the-hat along the way to many of the great horror films, fans will enjoy simply guessing/remembering what shots came from what movies, too many to list here. I thought it was made in the early 80's ... imagine my surprise.
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A throwback to those 70's/80's horror films I knew and loved. Very retro, very creepy, very nicely done.
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A real treat for genre purists. Rarely do horror fans get treated to a real slow burn. Horror now a days is so chalk full of frenetic editing and poorly paced thrills. This film is an exercise in atmosphere and for those who can stomach the unnervingly languid pace, an event worth… More
A real treat for genre purists. Rarely do horror fans get treated to a real slow burn. Horror now a days is so chalk full of frenetic editing and poorly paced thrills. This film is an exercise in atmosphere and for those who can stomach the unnervingly languid pace, an event worth savoring.
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Not a bad effort, but it has it's ups and downs. Good atmosphere, avoids many of the traps of the genre, but it doesn't have enough ideas to fill the lenght. With some polishing Mr West might pull out a real horror classic in the future, he has the right eye and the right… More
Not a bad effort, but it has it's ups and downs. Good atmosphere, avoids many of the traps of the genre, but it doesn't have enough ideas to fill the lenght. With some polishing Mr West might pull out a real horror classic in the future, he has the right eye and the right sensibility for the material, he just needs a better script.
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Samantha: Hi, I'm calling in regards to the babysitter flier posted outside my dorm room.
"Talk on the phone. Finish your homework. Watch T.V. Die!"
I have no problem saying that this is in my top 10 favorite horror films of all-time. Ti West does a nice little… More
Samantha: Hi, I'm calling in regards to the babysitter flier posted outside my dorm room.
"Talk on the phone. Finish your homework. Watch T.V. Die!"
I have no problem saying that this is in my top 10 favorite horror films of all-time. Ti West does a nice little throwback/homage to 70's, 80's horror. The picture is grainy, the credits are exactly like an cheap horror film and the soundtrack is spotless. I love how he included Greg Kihn's Breakup Song in the soundtrack that has the line, "They don't write em like that anymore." It is sort of West's way of saying that horror movies just aren't what they used to be.
The story is straightforward. A college student wants to get a place of her own, and she needs to come up with the money for the place. She sees a flier for a babysitter and decides to take the guy up on it. That's about as far as I'll go into plot for two reasons. A) There really isn't that much more to tell. B) I don't want to accidentally give anything away.
This film is extremely slow and if you don't like slow burn horror, then don't watch this. If you do, this is heaven. For me, this is the closest to perfection a horror film has been since The Shining. The first 30 minutes is all getting to know Samantha and her situation. I grew to like her quick. Then she gets to the house and still, nothing much happens. I love the scenes where she wanders the house. West plays off what we expect from a standard horror film very well.
Then finally we get to an amazing last sequence that rivals any horror sequence I have ever seen. I must mention how the scene starts out because I found it to be the coolest thing ever. You won't get much out of this description if you haven't seen it, but here it is anyway. The screen is black and then a red moon flashes onto the screen three times, slowly to an almost heartbeat like drumming. Then black again, a lighter flicks on three times to the same heartbeat. Then black again, Samantha in her "situation" pops up three times to the same heartbeat. Then the camera goes crazy to some of the most bizarre and surreal music I have ever heard. The first time I watched this scene I sat motionless, in awe of just how well done it was. Then I finished the movie, went back to the start of the ending, and watched it again.
Everybody has that movie that feels like it was almost made just for them. These type of movies don't have big stars in them and they don't have big budgets. They feel personal somehow. This is that movie for me. It is absolutely perfect in my opinion. I honestly believe this to be the best horror film since that has come out in the last 25 plus years. I love it that much.
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A superbly made homage to 80's horror films. It's one of those films where 5 minutes in I had to double check the release date as it looks and feels completely of the era.
It really is an admirable achievement that director Ti West was able to capture so completely all… More
A superbly made homage to 80's horror films. It's one of those films where 5 minutes in I had to double check the release date as it looks and feels completely of the era.
It really is an admirable achievement that director Ti West was able to capture so completely all of the GREAT aspects of 80's horror films while deftly triming away the gratuitous nudity and sex that (while at times ammusing) very often pulls you "out" of the film.
It's hard not to compare it to Rosemary's Baby (my pal Quinto put it best: "Rosemary's Babysitter") as it has that same slow build to a final horror filled climax (not to mention a satanic cult). But while this film is quite good...it is not (overall) the same caliber of film.
It might be "too slow" for today's "sensory overload" addicts, but I found that it was written and acted in such a way that the pacing (ultimately) works perfectly to help develope the characters and the tension.
I think (most) fans of horror films, will be pleasantly surprised by this film.
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Fascinating. This movie looks exactly like it was made in 1973, and that illusion is flawless. It recreates the whole Rosemary's Baby vibe, but unfortunately it also recreates all the bad things about that movie culture as well: the story really drags, the narrative really lacks… More
Fascinating. This movie looks exactly like it was made in 1973, and that illusion is flawless. It recreates the whole Rosemary's Baby vibe, but unfortunately it also recreates all the bad things about that movie culture as well: the story really drags, the narrative really lacks focus and I didn't find any of the characters particularly engaging. I think HotD tries to create an atmosphere of slow-burn dread, but there is too much "slow" and not enough "burn". I wish this movie had a little more energy. In fact, it does display one burst of action that clashes with the rest of the glacial pace here that it creates a really really jarring scare. Therein resides the value of this movie. That one moment is so good that it's almost worth sitting through the rest of this movie. It's not bad, but just make sure that you take some Ritalin before you turn this movie on.
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It's supposed to be a tribute to American horror movies of the late-70s-early-80s, but an above-average American horror movie in 1982 was not this good and not nearly as devoted to atmosphere and stretching the length of shots out until suspense hangs so heavy in the frame that… More
It's supposed to be a tribute to American horror movies of the late-70s-early-80s, but an above-average American horror movie in 1982 was not this good and not nearly as devoted to atmosphere and stretching the length of shots out until suspense hangs so heavy in the frame that we want it to end but we're not sure if we can deal with it exploding into violence. For that style, West seems to be taking lessons from Roth and Tarantino and perhaps some of the European horror in the 70s that influenced them.
He borrows that the general approach but fully owns the realism and understatement in the dialogue, which give the movie a docudrama quality. Greta Gerwig and Dee Wallace have a talent for selling the dialogue like it coincidentally shows artistic precision. With everything underexposed like in Godfather Part 2, a lot of House of the Devil feels like an arty docudrama about a campfire story.
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"Don't worry. You're going to be just fine. Both of you."
We horror fans are a diverse bunch. What appeals to one of us in a horror movie will inspire disapproval from another and boredom from a third. House of the Devil is a good horror movie, but you'll… More
"Don't worry. You're going to be just fine. Both of you."
We horror fans are a diverse bunch. What appeals to one of us in a horror movie will inspire disapproval from another and boredom from a third. House of the Devil is a good horror movie, but you'll probably need a few (non-spoilery) details to decide if it's for you.
First of all, it's almost totally reliant on tension and atmosphere, from beginning to end. Almost all of the action and mayhem is concentrated in the last 20 minutes of the movie. Most of the hour before that is spent alone with our main character Samantha (Jocelin Donahue). There's not a lot of story exposition, you discover what's going on as Samantha does. Desperate for money, she agrees to an urgent request for a babysitter, despite her own reservations and those of her friend. It's clear from the moment she arrives at the house that something odd and perhaps sinister is going on, but what?
Some people will be bored to tears by House of the Devil. It requires patience from the viewer, and a willingness to lose yourself in the suspense. There's no humor to distract you, and you have to pay attention to put together the clues of what's happening, just like Samantha does. The story, when fully revealed, isn't something that we haven't seen before, but it felt somewhat fresh because of the lean, minimalistic way in which it was presented.
Gore-hounds may not be satisfied, and neither will those people who prefer high kill counts, lots of jump scares, and constant gratification. There's a lot to like here, including the excellent early 80's setting, the solid performance of Donahue, and the way the sheer creepiness of the movie will settle into your bones, if you let it. In the mood for a horror movie with a somewhat different approach? Give House of the Devil a try.
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I could go on an on about the way this film was made, the 16mm film that was used to shoot it, the pans, zooms and other camera moves...I could, but it would be much easier if you just see it for yourself. I think the film is quite brilliant and a return to form for a modern-day… More
I could go on an on about the way this film was made, the 16mm film that was used to shoot it, the pans, zooms and other camera moves...I could, but it would be much easier if you just see it for yourself. I think the film is quite brilliant and a return to form for a modern-day horror film that was made in the "old" style. Those who felt is was boring and lead nowhere missed the point entirely and are better off sticking to their modern-day, over-the-top and frenetic schlock & shock fests that are pumped out a dime a dozen these days.
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I was expecting a so bad its good, 80s gory horror flick. But instead I got a so bad it was bad, poorly made boring, waste of a hour and 1/2. Dont waste your time and dont believe the hype that this movie is just like all your favorite 80s slasher movie because it is not and its the… More
I was expecting a so bad its good, 80s gory horror flick. But instead I got a so bad it was bad, poorly made boring, waste of a hour and 1/2. Dont waste your time and dont believe the hype that this movie is just like all your favorite 80s slasher movie because it is not and its the most BORING and uneventful horror movies I've ever seen. Boo you teasing whore of a movie XD lol
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Hearing good things about The House Of The Devil on horror websites, I decide to check out the film for myself. The critics point of view of this film was that it was a return to form to classic horror films of the 1980's. Director Ti West knows how to build effective suspense,… More
Hearing good things about The House Of The Devil on horror websites, I decide to check out the film for myself. The critics point of view of this film was that it was a return to form to classic horror films of the 1980's. Director Ti West knows how to build effective suspense, and The House Of The Devil is a terrific horror film. The whole film reeks of homage to the cheap Horror films of the 8o's and theres a constant B movie film feel to the movie that adds an awesome atmosphere to the overall picture. The actor that Ti West picked to play in this cool little piece of 80's horror homage are terrific.
Everyone involved are well chosen and are, for the most part horror icons. The film dwells on the subject of satanic cults and Sam, a babysitter is hired by a weird family to babysit a family member. The reality is more terrifying, and they plan to use her in a Satanic Ritual.
This film is quite original and is one of the best original horror films since The Devil's Rejects. The House Of The Devil is an homage of traditional of the 80's as it has the feel, and look of the 80's. Director Ti West went as far to film the film in 35 MM just to go the extra mile and get a retro look for his film. House Of The Devil steadily builds it's tension and the payoff is awesome, it has quite a terrific climax, which I won't reveal because I personally feel that this is the type of film that needs to be seen to be believed. An original story thats frightening and complimented with actors from horror films of the 80's Tom Noonan (Manhunter) and Dee Wallace (Cujo) make this film a true winner. A must watch!
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Good horror movie with lots of suspense. Played out well and its 80's setting is very realistic. It genuinely feels like a lost 80's horror movie. Good acting and very creepy.
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Knowingly titled with a covetous eye on the shelf space between <I>Houses</I> <I>...by the Cemetery</I> and <I>...on the Edge of the Park</I> in your horror library; opening credits in a vintage font that could have been lifted from any John… More
Knowingly titled with a covetous eye on the shelf space between <I>Houses</I> <I>...by the Cemetery</I> and <I>...on the Edge of the Park</I> in your horror library; opening credits in a vintage font that could have been lifted from any John Carpenter movie of the period; a supporting cast that includes Dee Wallace (<I>The Howling</I>, <I>Cujo</I>), Mary Woronov (<I>Night of the Comet</I>) and Tom Noonan (<I>The Monster Squad</I>). <I>The House of the Devil</I> recreates the look and feel of the low budget Eighties horror movie so meticulously, one wonders afterwards whether or not the risibility of the climax was also intentional. Oh well, if it ultimately fails to deliver the goods, this is still a nicely paced and well acted piece of horror nostalgia.
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I applaud the effort that went into recreating the vibe and setting of 80s slashers, but hell those movies were never scary and rarely decent. This is near to decent, but still has a very WTF? ending that gives no answers, real or feigned. The primary problem with this movie is that… More
I applaud the effort that went into recreating the vibe and setting of 80s slashers, but hell those movies were never scary and rarely decent. This is near to decent, but still has a very WTF? ending that gives no answers, real or feigned. The primary problem with this movie is that it takes forever to introduce any element of horror and build suspense. Until then, it's just a girl wandering about a strange house acting irrationally afraid (she didn't see and doesn't know about the one earlier incident of violence). When "scary time" kicks in, there's enough fake blood to fill a pool and it's a nonstop barrage of false suspense to compensate for the utter lack of it in the rest of the film. This was toted as one of the best films of the year by some horror buffs, and I feel like if the best that can be done is a (completely non-terrifying) tribute to a genre that never had any real purpose (even entertainment!) to begin with, then the horror film industry is a far dire condition than I previously thought. To say it again: I applaud the effort that went into production design and the cinematography which early in the film is able to achieve an aura of creepiness and the decent acting work, but that is where any shred of praise ends.
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