The House of the Devil (2009)

Ti West is a very dependable and knowledgeable maker of horror films and The House of the Devil (2009) suggests why. If the opening credits themselves were not enough of a clue, the early appearance of famous horror actress Dee Wallace indicates that House is something of an homage to the classic era of 1970s/1980s slasher and haunted house movies. It contains a very effective combination of enough of the formulaic elements of the genre (heightened by the film’s early 80s setting) to satisfy the most discerning horror buff along with enough variations to ring the changes. For example, there’s a lovely moment when Samantha, House’s ‘final girl,’ opens the door to the basement and almost snorts in derision at the thought that she would go down there (she does not hesitate, however, to explore the rest of the house!). But perhaps the most distinctive feature of West’s work (we can also see it in The Innkeepers and The Sacrament) is that he’s a master of the ‘slow burn’ horror film: the pacing of the film, its editing, and the development of the plot are all developed deliberately and slowly, so much so that many viewers might find themselves bored. Those who stick around, though, will find The House of the Devil one of the most loving and effective reworkings of (one of) horror’s golden age(s) in recent years.