The Night House Review: A True Winner!

September is just around the corner, with October following close by, which means the 2021 Horror Movies are beginning to “come out to socialize.” Still being August, the release of The Night House was a little earlier than I would have expected. However, The Night House is an incredible start to the horror film season, and it is going to be tough to beat this atmospheric and unsettling release starring Rebecca Hall.

Also Read: The White Lotus Review – Comedically Accurate & Painfully Authentic!

Beth is a recent widow whose husband shot himself on the lake outside their house. Her co-workers and friends worry about her as she grieves in seemingly “unhealthy ways,” feeling the need to dig into her husband’s past for secrets he may have left behind. As Beth begins to unpack the cause of her husband’s death and a secret life she was unaware of, sinister forces begin to enter her life that cause her to come face to face with her past.

The Night House is a conceptual horror film that terrifies in its message as opposed to just relying on its images and jump scares. At the root of the film are depression, loss, and grief, emotions, and experiences that are all too real to so many of us. This take on these subjects makes the film that much scarier because it is rooted in realism, with more conventional horror techniques being used to its advantage to heighten the horror.

The film’s slower pace, compared to slashers or paranormal horror films, allowed for the filmmaker to develop the film’s characters and focus. In this respect, the climax feels deserved. By the end, enough information is given to the audience without them feeling like they are being spoon-fed. This results in several interpretations and takeaways that can be extracted from the film.

Films that welcome discussion, especially in the horror genre, have always been my favorite films to experience. The Night House leaves just enough dots unconnected at first glance, leaving the audience to connect them through their own interpretations.

One of the best things about The Night House is that it flips the center goal of horror films on its head, leaving the audience disturbed and unsettled as the film progresses. I think it can be universally agreed upon that the goal of horror films, for the characters at least, is to stay alive.

However, what is more terrifying than begging to stay alive is wanting to die. The film’s psychological elements that it focuses on allows audiences to explore the mind of a severely depressed and cynical individual, where their state of mind is even more terrifying than the disturbing visions surrounding them.

Start this season with a true winner. The Night House is everything a horror film should be while being difficult to turn away from until the very last scene.

‘The Night House’ Rating – 4/5

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Stephanie Young

Senior Associate Writer at Just for Movie Freaks

Stephanie is a huge film fanatic, a librarian, and a baker! And when she isn't busy doing these activities, she is running around with her Australian Cattle Dog!

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