It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

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

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Eerie, atmospheric and at times genuinely unsettling, its a respectable addition to the haunted house genre. The movie is probably a little too long at just under two hours, but the viewers patience during the slow build up is rewarded with some chilling scenes, added to greatly by the movies creepy sound effects which are utilized extremely craftily. The lead actress, Emily Goss, does a fine job of portraying a tortured individual, akin to the mother in The Babadook, a very different type of haunted house flick. The film makers seem to have made the most of an obviously limited budget and for the most part avoid the usual clichés/tropes movies of a similar nature often surrender to.

Review by Golden State Haunts and EventsAaron and Austin Keeling have created a creepy and atmospheric haunted house movie with "The House on Pine Street". In the movie, seven months pregnant Jennifer (Emily Goss) has moved to a Kansas house with her husband Luke (Taylor Bottles) which is a step up from their apartment in suburban Chicago. It turns out the move was facilitated by Jennifer's overbearing mother Meredith (Cathy Barnett) who wants Luke to do more with his life than be a bartender and wants the baby to be born in a more rural environment. Meredith imposes herself by throwing a housewarming party and inviting her own friends including Walter (Jim Korinke) a so-called psychic who states that the house has weird energy. Absent from the party is Jennifer's friend Lauren (Natalie Pellegrini).Jennifer receives weird stares from the people in the neighborhood as if they're holding a secret. She starts to experience weird events in the house such as seeing someone in the bathroom, having the crockpot lid move on its own and hearing weird noises coming from the attic. The film was shot in an 1800's house that is supposedly actually haunted and the cinematography uses the environment to perfection. Jump scares aren't something you'll find in this movie, but rather a slow buildup and tension.When Lauren comes to visit the house we're introduced to her toddler son who is very creepy. He stares and talks to only something he can see. Experiencing paranormal events herself Jennifer is very concerned and her and Lauren hold a seance. Things only get worse but Luke and Meredith think that Jennifer is going crazy and having a mental breakdown. Jennifer didn't want to leave Chicago and isn't happy that she's having the baby. In fact we find out that she tried to self abort.Emily Goss portrays Jennifer with a genuine feel that makes you empathize for the character. You're left wondering if she's really going crazy of if the house is actually haunted.

"The House on Pine Street" is an excellent horror film. It's good because the purpose of a horror film is to leave you scared and disturbed...and it does a really, really good job of scaring viewers half to death. While the story is pretty good, what really makes the movie work is the mood. Directors Aaron and Austin Keeling do a great job of building suspense and setting a dark and forbidding tone. Along with the effective music, you cannot help but be pulled into this tense story.The story begins with a young couple moving back to the wife's hometown. She's pregnant but instead of being happy to be near her mother, Jennifer (Emily Goss) is tense and you soon see why. Her mother is a very controlling and difficult person--and Jennifer dreads being near her. However, while Jennifer thinks this is her big problem she soon realizes she has an even bigger one on her hands...the house is haunted or filled with demonic spirits or something ungodly is going on there. However, while she notices weird sounds, finds faucets turning on by themselves and even, on occasion, sees people who soon disappear, her mother and husband are very dismissive of Jennifer's fears about the house. They treat her again and again like she is losing her mind. What's really going on here and what about Jennifer's baby....? And are the mother and husband somehow in on it....but what is it?!If you are a person who insists that every loose end is tied up perfectly and you eventually must understand what is happening and why, then you might just be a bit disappointed in this movie. It ends leaving many questions unanswered. This doesn't mean there are plot holes but it leaves the viewer to decide for themselves as to what's really happening. This didn't bother me because why this all occurs didn't seem to matter. It was clear, like in another scary film, "1408", that this house simply was evil and was bent on driving Jennifer out of her mind...or worse. See this film...it's an excellent low budget film that proves you don't need a huge budget in order to craft a very good picture.

I was very fortunate enough to catch a viewing of this movie at the 2015 Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose.The result of recent graduates from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the University of Kansas, "The House On Pine Street" (THOPS) tells the story of Jennifer (Emily Goss), who is seven months pregnant, and her husband Luke (Taylor Bottles). They both leave their hometown in Chicago in favor of a rental in Kansas, where Jennifer soon begins to experience paranormal activities. Of course, she is the only one to witness these strange occurrences, which adds a strain to her marriage and further complicates an already broken relationship with her mother, Meredith (Cathy Barnett). As Jennifer struggles to figure out what is going on, both in the house and with herself, she encounters creepy twins, odd neighbors and house guests, and scary doors. Yes, these doors are scary.The production of THOPS is very eerie, which makes it a great addition to the library of horror films. Everything from the cinematography and lighting to the sound bites and music used all blends together perfectly for an engaging and startling experience. The actors all shine brightly (Barnett does an excellent job playing a seemingly villainous mother while Bottles portrayal of a husband that doesn't quite understand his wife's crazy antics is spot-on), but the true star of it all is Emily Goss. Goss gives a captivating and haunting performance as the main star of the show, and handles the spotlight with ease. Since I had an opportunity to speak with her briefly after the screening, I was very impressed with how "normal" Goss appeared to be, which made me appreciate even more how perfectly she was able to get into character for the role of Jennifer.What I really enjoyed most about THOPS was its realistic portrayal of what would happen to someone encountering these paranormal activities. So many films have done the same thing over and over, but THOPS doesn't follow that typical formula … which I unfortunately can't really further elaborate on, since I intend for this review to be spoiler-free. Sorry to be a tease! For a film that was mostly self-funded and crafted by a group of talented young adults all under the age of 25, the result is truly remarkable. You can see it in the film's execution that everything the team has learned from their respective schools have been applied, to giving its audience the best possible viewing experience.I believe this is the first feature film debut from the Keeling Brothers, and I'm sure it is only the beginning of a great future for the duo, as well as the actors (most notably Emily Goss) and the rest of the crew and staff. I highly recommend you check out THOPS in the event it plays at a theater near you. It is a very enjoyable experience, and when you remember that everyone who worked on the film are all recent college graduates, it will hopefully inspire you to do something just as great with your life! Also, if you're like me, be forewarned – you may never look at doors or babies playing with Lego blocks the same again!