Back in 2009, Ti West directed a
modest, little horror movie that you probably didn’t see during its
limited theatrical release. A movie that was not only set in the
1980’s but also used the cinematic style and techniques of the time
to craft a film more suspenseful, and frightening than most
contemporary horror movies. It not only works as a testament to film
making from a bygone era, but is made all the better for it.
The plot centers on a college student
named Samantha. Samantha is trying to save up the money to put down
on an apartment because her dorm roommate is an insufferable slob.
When Samantha learns of a house sitting job that could put her over
the top financially, she decides to go against her own judgment and
the warnings of her friend Megan to net the cash for one night’s
worth of her time. Soon Samantha is pulled into a web of terror as
she finds herself the vessel for a ritual performed by a cultist
family.
A simple (and quite clichéd) premise,
but the film succeeds on many levels. West makes several conscious
choices to deliver an effective thriller based on a somewhat tired
concept.
First, he doesn’t
rush into things. The first half of the movie establishes the
character of Samantha and sets up her dilemma. After all, you’d
have to have a pretty good reason to go through with the job after
all the red flags that are thrown up during the interview process.
West also makes great use of the venerable actor, Tom Noonan as Mr.
Ulman, the owner of the house in question. A creepy presence,
everything about him screams, “run away!’ yet he manages to
convince Samantha that the job will be quite easy and wins her over
with an eerie reassurance.
The other thing that makes the film stand
out is that it is an exercise in 80s film making. Filming on 16mm,
the title sequence over freeze frames and the use of zoom for close
ups give the film a retro feel, but also works well for the material.
The clothes, hair styles and vehicles all help to create a movie
that seems less like a modern film set in the 80's and more like an
actual film from the 80's.
Also worth noting is a scene in which
Samantha dances through the house while listening to One Thing Leads
to Another by The Fixx on her Sony, cassette Walkman. One Thing
Leads to Another is a great song from the era and actress Jocelin
Donahue has some nice moves to go along with it. It’s a delightful
sequence that works because it sets the viewer at ease, causing them
to let their guard down just a little bit. The scene marks the
turning point of the movie when the suspense turns to terror and the
intensity really starts to ratchet up.
The entire movie is a slow build,
choosing a path of uneasy chills over gore and in-your-face shocks.
All hell to breaks loose in the final act and all the fears and
suspicions you’ve been harboring are proven to be well warranted.
When the blood finally starts to flow, you are thoroughly invested in
what's happening and the climax is quite satisfying. Apart from some
sloppy editing (which I suspect was done by the distributer after its
release) the film is a near perfect example of how to make a good
horror movie.
If you missed this gem last year on
Netflix, well you’re in luck as it’s still streaming there. If
you are one of the over-reacting hordes of militant consumers who
canceled their Netflix accounts over the recent changes to their
pricing structure then good luck finding it in your local Redbox.
Its movies like this that make Netflix so awesome. Movies you may
not have even heard of but are better than then garbage people stand
in line to pay ten bucks to see at the theaters.
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