kamilarincon Using 16mm film, Ti West creates a movie that shoots us back to the 80's and reminds us of the slasher films of that time. The retro look is captured through West's way of zooming in on characters and inanimate objects, a style more typical in the 80's that would now be shot on a dolly. The topic of satanism is also something that many were introduced to in the 80s. However, what I most enjoyed about this film was the unique suspense created through a seemingly real-life scenario. We cared for the main character Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) and understood her struggle of being a broke college student and needing to make money fast. She has a roommate who is the typical "bad girl" while Samantha is the "good girl." Ironically enough, Samantha is the one that leads them to their misfortune. The bad signs start (literally) when she sees a babysitter-wanted flyer hanging on a bulletin board at school. The villains are then all introduced by being talked about first, but never actually seen. This style of having an unseen entity also makes one reminisce of iconic films such as Psycho. Once the villains in The House of Devil are introduced there is even bottom lighting that casts shadow so you can't really identify them at first and feel a sense of disconnect. West is able to create an underlying feeling of suspense from beginning to end. His use of long-shots specifically made it feel like anything could pop out of anywhere, at any time. The long-shots at time also made it feel like Samantha was being watched, but this was even more accomplished through West's use of fragmentation of the body. In some parts the characters weren't completely in frame as though the audience was hiding behind something watching them. In the end, even the characters of The House of the Devil knew they were getting into something they shouldn't. But, Samantha's pride makes her think it's all worth it until the very end where we are shocked and traumatized by the gore and the jarring editing they couldn't show us back in the 80s.

kylebbridston This movie is extremely true to the eighties. Although I didn't live in that time, I have seen many of the movies from then and the editing is incredible. It is slow at the beggining, but the director and writer uses this to develop fear as the girl hears strange noises.

michaelgeronsin This film won me over. Though some say it's too slow or doesn't pay off at the end I believe it has all the right elements. Samantha, the main character, is very likable (not lovable) and give off a Margot Kidder-type vibe both with her looks and acting. What I love, and what I think a lot of newer movies lack, is the use of space. The space allows you to fill the void with your own mind and just like good music, makes the loud scary parts much louder and scarier by contrast. I hope to see more movies that emulate the greatest era of horror, in my opinion, the late 70's early 80's.

cndial From the moment we are brought into this film, it is obvious that Ti West's The House of the Devil is going to include a reemergence of the classic '80s stereotypes we have grown to know and love. Ti West does something extremely smart when placing the opening credits over freeze frames of our main character, Samantha (Jocelin Donahue), because it allows us to automatically feel connected to her. It also reminds us of the films we have watched over and over. However, with this being a horror film, West also creates an atmosphere that makes the viewer slightly uncomfortable. The dulled sounds and grainy edits, something that we have become accustomed to when viewing films made 30 years ago, is somehow out of place when viewing a movie that came out in the last decade. The feeling of nostalgia that viewers experience is almost misplaced, and it begins the sensation of terror in their stomachs for the anticipation of what may come next. This feeling of dread compounds throughout the movie when little oddities begin to occur, such as Mr. Ulman's peculiar phone habits, strange appearance, "off" mannerisms, and unusual interactions with his own wife, whom Samantha engages with as well. Everything adds to this dreadful feeling. So, commence the white knuckles on every viewer, as Samantha is left alone in this Hitchcockian house. The suspense builds, and the mise-en-scène alone is enough to make a viewer go mad. Although there are moments of relief placed strategically throughout, the anticipation for the modern day, fast-paced gore we have grown used to is immense. The lull in the movie, which is preceded by the abrupt and gory death of Samantha's friend Megan, allows a viewer's imagination to run rampant. The yearning for questions to be answered grows exponentially with every passing scene as Samantha slowly explores the home. I commend Ti West's use of these elements that build suspense, similar to the ones that the great Alfred Hitchcock used thoroughly himself. When the film is over, the viewers are left with a feeling in the pit in their stomachs that is never quite resolved… much like Samantha.