Blu-Ray Review: The House of the Devil

The House of the Devil
Written and Directed (and edited) by Ti West
Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, AJ Bowen & Dee Wallace

Special Features: Commentary with Ti West & Jocelin Donahue and with West, Producers, and Crew. Behind The Scenes, Cast and Crew Interviews, and a trailer.

From the box:

During the 1980s, over 70% of American adults believed in the existence of abusive Satanic Cults. This film is based on true and unexplained events.

From writer/director Ti West comes perhaps the most intense shocker of the year: Desperate for quick cash, college sophomore Samantha Hughes (a breakout performance by Jocelin Donahue) takes a babysitting job in the isolated mansion of the creepy Ulman family. Ignoring the warnings from her best friend (GREENBERG'S Greta Gerwig), Samantha has no idea that a nightmare of unspeakable fear and torment awaits her within these walls. At midnight, in the shadow of a full lunar eclipse, the ultimate evil will be unleashed. Cult icons Tom Noonan (MANHUNTER), Mary Woronov (The Devil's Rejects), and Dee Wallace (THE HILLS HAVE EYES) - co-star in the acclaimed demonic thriller that fans and critics hail as an unnerving return to late '70s/early 80s classic horror.

To put it simply, The House of the Devil is the best horror film in years. Ti West has crafted a stunning and intensely horrifying film that looks and feels like it was made decades ago and locked away in a vault. It is a genuinely creepy film that is a much welcomed return to true horror. None of this torture porn crap that has invaded the genre.

Not only do we have a new horror director to watch but also a potential new scream queen the likes of which we haven't seen since Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween, Jocelin Donahue. She delivers a wonderfully natural performance that should lead to a great career. I hope she sticks around in horror for a while though. She was absolutely perfect.

The House of the Devil also includes cult stars like Tom Noonan as the creepy Mr. Ulman, and Dee Wallace who should be seen so much more. I'd really love to see her put in more films.

I don't want to go to much into detail about the plot. The blurb from the box above explains it plenty, suffice it to say that you haven't seen anything like this in years.

The blu-ray looks great. The picture is grainy, exactly as it should be, and the sound is crisp and clear. The special features are a little light but this film doesn't need the supplements. It stands tall on its own.

If you are a fan of great, legitimately scary horror films than The House of the Devil is a must see. In fact, it's a must see regardless.

The House of the Devil is perfect little film that may just be the savior of the horror genre and is a desperately needed return to the days or truly scary horror. Not only is it the best horror film of the year, it's also one of the best films of the year period.

The House of the Devil is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.