The House of the Devil (2009) Movie Review - Ti West's Sloppy Kiss to 80's Horror

Welcome to Knockout Horror. It’s the 3rd of October and we have another review in our KO-ween 31 Days of Halloween feature. Today we are going back to 2009, again, to check out Ti West’s throwback 80s style horror The House of the Devil. We have also reviewed another Ti West directorial effort in the form of V/H/S which he directed a segment for so feel free to check that out.

The House of the Devil follows Samantha, played by Jocelin Donahue, and her attempts to earn $300 to pay for her new apartment. Samantha has had enough of living on campus with her slob of a roommate so rents her own place. Naturally, she needs rent in advance and it just so happens that a local couple, Mr and Mrs Ulman played by Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov, need a babysitter. There is an eclipse that night and the couple have an event planned around it. The job is paying $100 and Samantha needs the money. Little does she realise, this is no ordinary couple.

An 80’s Love Letter

The House of the Devil is writer and director Ti West’s love letter to the 80s horror genre. Filmed on 16mm film to give it that “fresh out of the video rental shop” look. This is a real nod to everything that made that generation of horror so iconic.

And when I say nod, I feel like I am understating things a little. The House of the Devil has it all. Cheesy 80s music? Check! A grainy veneer to everything? Check! Unusual camera angles and fast zooms? Definitely! A satanic-panic based plot with an action packed ending? Yep! The House of the Devil is almost bordering on parody for how keenly it follows the 80s horror format. This is Ti West’s M.O. and House of the Devil was the first time we really saw it on show.

It’s really not just an aesthetic or a setting, either. The House of the Devil might as well have been filmed in the 80s. The camera cuts are taken straight from Halloween, Black Christmas, and Friday the 13th. The pacing is deliberately slow. There is a purposeful cheesiness to everything. It’s less of a nod to 80s horror and more of a tongue in the ear and a hand down the pants. From this aspect, it is very well done. But how does the movie itself hold up?

Fifth Time is the Charm

I don’t know whether this is an indictment of the movie but my partner and I have tried to watch The House of the Devil at least 4 times. For some reason, we always seem to get distracted half way through or fall asleep. We finally managed to scratch that itch recently and made it through the entire movie. This is something of a problem with Ti West’s movie making style. He dwells on the dull and mundane. Meaning his movies take awhile to get going.

The House of the Devil is a very slow paced film. It takes half an hour or so for Samantha to actually arrive at the house and another half an hour or so before anything really happens. Once things get going, however, the race to the end is lightning fast. The pacing is odd and it is not hard to imagine that some will check out half way through with its lack of story progression. I know that I did a few times.

Speaking of which, story progression is something that really takes a back seat in The House of the Devil. The events of the movie are very self contained and take place over one day. There isn’t any real opportunity to learn anything about the characters. There is also no real potential to expand on prior events. Again, like many of West’s other movies, this is something that would work better as a 15 minute short. Most of the first hour feels like story padding.

A Few Plus Points

Acting is generally decent. Jocelin Donahue is fine as Samantha though there isn’t exactly much she is tasked with. Samantha is somewhat lacking in personality. There isn’t much of an opportunity to expand on any of the characters in The House of the Devil. To be honest, Samantha as a character seems a little all over the place. 

Samantha’s friend, played by Greta Gerwig, is typical horror movie comedy fodder. Her mumbling, slightly stoner-esque, manner is a bit cliched but then so is the entire movie. Mr and Mrs Ulman, played by Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov, are the would be stars of the show but the movie never really expands on them to any degree. The majority of the movie is spent following Samantha around like a fly on the wall. The 70s and 80s style of horror often put us in the shoes of the protagonist and had us stick close by them. The House of the Devil is no different.

If you enjoy the retro aesthetic then you are in for a treat. The grain covering everything in The House of the Devil is almost eye cutting. You can pretty much feel it like pebbledash on a wall. The use of 16mm film when making the movie was a great touch. It is certainly a step beyond what most filmmakers do when creating their love letters to the 80s. Camera work is also spot on for the time. With interesting camera placement, fast zooms and fun shots galore. West is a very talented film maker.

Nearly, But Not Quite

The House of the Devil was really well reviewed upon release. I always suspected that this was, at least in part, due to the 80s aesthetic of the movie. Finally watching it all the way through, I am left with my suspicions somewhat confirmed. The House of the Devil is an okay movie but it does not live up to the rhetoric being uttered regarding it on release. Something that I think is reflected in West’s future movies X and MaXXXine.

Sure, the 80s nostalgia is there in spades. It is done so well it could be a movie directly from that era. The truth is, however, if it was actually from that era, it would not receive the praise it received in 2009. Pacing is uneven, the scares are not there, Samantha is generic and difficult to care about, and the ending is rushed. There just isn’t that much that stands out beyond the cool retro chic.

There are times where you are fairly invested in what is happening in the Ulman house. The tension is somewhat present for the first 20 minutes as you wait for something to happen. But, after the third time of Samantha creeping upstairs, you feel somewhat checked out. The ending literally explodes over the finish line with no fanfare after waiting nearly 80 minutes to get there.

Should You Watch The House of the Devil?

If you happen to love 80’s horror and want to check out a modern take on that, you should definitely watch The House of the Devil. At its best, it’s an enjoyable movie that makes for a nice throwback to a simpler time in horror. If you go into it expecting a ground breaking, exceptional, horror that perfectly recaptures the glory days of Halloween and Black Christmas, you may be disappointed.

But, if you go into with an even mind expecting a cool looking retro style horror that blows a kiss to the 80s, you may just enjoy yourself. Just don’t expect a horror movie that can hold up against the giants of the 80s. The story is weak and poorly fleshed out, pacing is glacial, and the ending is pretty bad, as a whole. There are far better actual retro horror movies. But as a quick way to kill an hour or so, and a fun, mindless “switch your brain off” horror movie, it is absolutely fine.

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Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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