A few years ago, a very small horror release titled The House of the Devil slipped under most people’s radars.  Some of the buzz surrounding the film was quite positive, stating that it was one of the creepiest modern horror films in some time.  In typical fashion, I forgot all about the movie until it was time to prepare this month-long horror marathon.  I can safely say that I have finally journeyed to The House of the Devil and returned (mostly) unharmed to tell my tale of cults and freaky mansions.

Released in 2009, The House of the Devil was directed by Ti West and starred Jocelin Donahue as Samantha, the story’s protagonist and essentially one of the only characters featured in the entire film.  Being a poor college student, Samantha seeks a little extra cash to move in to a nice apartment and reluctantly answers an ad for a babysitting gig.  It doesn’t take long for the audience and Samantha that she may have agreed to more than she bargained for, and as she uncovers the secrets of her employer’s house, the proverbial kettle slowly burns until everything reaches a climactic steaming point that changes everything.

In some ways, The House of the Devil reminded me a little bit of The Descent.  Not in its narrative, but in the way that the horror is an incredibly slow burn that takes almost 3/4′s of the runtime to finally tip its hand towards the viewer, cluing us all in on what exactly is transpiring on screen.  And while this could have potentially come across as boring or plodding, the film’s score, which is essentially the creepy violin swells from LOST on loop, renders every mundane action from Samantha within the house as disturbing and unnerving.  There is an uneasiness that pervades every frame of the movie, leaving me in a constant state of panic of what’s to come.

While the film is kind of a one-trick pony in that it simply relies on the absence of horror to build suspense, its execution of the technique is superb.  In addition to some fantastic cinematography, including unique camera angles and fantastic lighting, The House of the Devil takes a simple idea and carries it out extremely well.  Not to mention that the story takes place in the 80′s, allowing the director to completely revel in all things from said decade.

If you’re looking for an intense rollercoaster, this film provides enough tension to likely satisfy your needs.  And though the ending can be seen a mile away, again, the execution is simply too solid to ignore.  This is definitely recommended for the horror fans out there.