The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

House of the Devil utilizes tension through patience and sound to create an unsettling atmosphere many viewers underestimate in the horror genre today. This is not your normal thrill-seeking/gore-loving/violence loaded movie, rather Ti West creates a "breathe of fresh air" story driven masterpiece convincing the viewer that the events taking place in the film can be believed by anyone ultimately instilling fear to anyone who watches this. West is able to capture certain viewers for an experience they would not soon forget. House of the Devil was created in 2009 and takes place in the early 80s. It is put together beautifully to vividly imagine life in that time period and also to make it look like it was filmed in that time too. Sound plays a very significant role in the progression of the film. Throughout the earlier parts of the film the sound is soft with its diegetic and non-diegetic sound except for the music Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) plays through her Walkman Cassette player and music played in various other scenes. The louder music enables the audience to experience safety through these parts (and also wakeup calls for whoever may be yawning in this slow-paced film). I believe these moments are crucial because even though we may step away from the horror aspect of the film for a movement, we become vulnerable. When we become vulnerable with a false-sense of safety, it impacts the fear element to become even greater for the viewer. Not knowing the outcome of a situation creates interests, interests creates the viewer to engulf themselves into the atmosphere of the film, when we engulf ourselves this is where Ti West has the audience on the edge of their seat vulnerable. Vulnerability is a crucial element of the horror film which is underutilized and at many times not executed well. House of the Devil executes this feeling effectively to create a movie unlike most others, one not to be watched but to be experienced.

The House of the Devil is one of director Ti West's first feature films (he had two under his belt before this one), and it's a brilliant one. West is already carefully watched within the horror genre, and he's swayed me over to his side with this film. Previously, I was split — he directed one of my least favorite shorts in The ABCs of Death (I called it "the laziest of the bunch"), but my favorite short in V/H/S. The House of the Devil was released in 2009 but takes place in 1983 and, man, if you didn't know better, you'd swear it was filmed then, too.It follows Samantha (Jocelin Donahue), a college student who is trying to do whatever she can to get some extra cash and move into her own place, away from her obnoxious dorm roommate. Her best friend, Megan (Greta Gerwig), drives her out to a babysitting gig off-campus which seems too good to be true, and, well, it turns out it is.** SPOILERS! **What impressed me most about this movie is just how much West nailed the 80s vibe. From the opening credits to the music (a mix of a perfectly atmospheric score almost reminiscent of John Carpenter with some perfectly placed 80s rock hits, plus the theme song which is freakily close to "Moving in Stereo") to the use of 16mm film to give it an accurate aesthetic… it was just perfect. It had that spot on 1980s slasher vibe without taking it into the realm of being almost a spoof, which can be a tough balance to strike.I mean, really, it's hard to describe exactly why, but the shots are just perfect, both in their accuracy to classic 80s "scream queen" films and just being pleasant to watch. Nothing felt out of place, nothing seemed to drag on too long, the shots were creative without becoming over-the-top, and it was meticulous without becoming too stiff. The shot of Megan looking out the windows as the camera pans back… the entire sequence of her dancing around the house… her creeping up the stairs with the shadow of her, knife in hand, moving along the wall behind her. All fantastic.The jump scares were efficient AND sparse, which is something that is becoming all too rare nowadays. The hand appearing out of the darkness to light Megan's cigarette made me physically jump, and the doorbell ringing as Samantha is nervously searching the house was perfect. For that matter, the mysterious man with the lighter (who we later find out is the couple's son) shooting Megan COMPLETELY blew me away (pun kind of intended).Tom Noonan as the mysterious Mr. Ulman was fantastic (as he always is), and Mary Woronov as his wife was also great. Both of them conveyed the perfect level of creepiness without being overly dramatic… just enough weirdness to give you a healthy amount of suspicion without actually making their intentions known.It was one of the few movies I've seen where it took over an hour for any action to happen (literally… maybe an hour and 10 minutes), but the suspense was palpable. I was just enjoying the mystery, the build-up, watching every corner and shadow to see what might be lurking.Honestly, the movie was almost perfect until the crescendo… when we finally find out that Mr. and Mrs. Ulman are part of a Satanic cult and Samantha is the centerpiece for a bloody ritual in the attic. I don't know if it was because it was all crammed into the last 15 minutes or just how unbelievable it all became (Mother being a grotesque, deformed creature who forces Samantha to drink her blood, Samantha conveniently escaping from ALL of the ropes tying her down, waving the knife haphazardly in defense and managing to slice the son's neck PERFECTLY open), but it kind of took me out of it. Though I thought her suicide in the cemetery was pretty awesome, and the ending was just uncomfortable enough.Even though it seemed like some direction was lost in the last moments, this was still an incredibly solid film, and recommended for sure.

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.

Throwbacks to horror films of the 70's and 80's either work or they don't. The filmmakers are either able to replicate that specific tonal aesthetic and look from back then, or they aren't. It's not easy to do, but writer director Ti West makes it seem like a walk in the park with his near flawless House Of The Devil, a gorgeous love note to the satanic works of yester-year that so adeptly recreates that time and place until we really believe we're watching a film that was made then. From the nostalgic hand drawn poster that beckons with atmosphere of a bygone era, to the use of full on, lovingly lettered credits ahead of the film, it's pure vintage bliss, like that one perfect vinyl you find in the second hand shop. It starts out like many of these horrors do, with a young teenage girl (Jocelin Donahue) innocently wandering into a situation that leads down an inevitable path of gruesome terror. In this case it's a seemingly innocuous babysitting job posted on her college notice board, by a cheery enough landlady (horror veteran Dee Wallace). Arriving at a creepy, ornate old manor, she meets Mr. and Mrs. Ullman, two gaunt, old world looking weirdos played by soft spoken yet disconcerting Tom Noonan, and genre legend Mary Woronov. They seem kind yet just kind of…off, explaining to her that the kiddies are alseep already upstairs, assuring an easy night for her. They depart and she's left alone in the vast empty halls, or so she thinks. She's been chosen for a bizarre, bloody ritual and soon is plagued by nightly terrors, a ghastly witch, the Ullmans themselves and all sorts of devilish deeds. Noonan could stand there and order a large double double with a honey dip and still make you uncomfortable, the guy is just perfect for horror, and makes a purring gargoyle of a villain for our our young heroine to go up against, backed up by Woronov's nasty Morticia vibe. Eventually it gets quite graphic and startling, but the slow, solemn lead up is the key in making the horror shock us all the more. Nothing happens for an agonizing first half, filled with silent apprehension, and when all hell finally breaks loose, our nerves are already taut strings waiting to snap, like the ones in the shrill, ragged violin score. That's how you pace a horror film, and many artists today should take note of this one's pace, soundscape, mood board and production design, because it's all about as good as it gets for this type of thing. Essential horror viewing, and I'd love to see a grainy VHS edition complete with box art, if that's something they even do these days.