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Jocelin Donahue, Greta Gerwig, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, AJ Bowen ... see more see more... , Dee Wallace , Danielle Noe , Heather Robb , John Speredakos , Mary B McCann , Brenda Cooney

A coed struggling to pay her rent ends up taking the wrong part-time job in writer-director Ti West's old-school 1980s-set horror flick, The House of the Devil. Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) is a sweet-n... read more read more...atured and retiring young woman, unlike her rambunctious, loud, and self-assured best buddy, Megan (mumblecore stalwart Greta Gerwig). After moving into a new apartment, Samantha is desperate for a way to make a few more bucks. When Mr. Ulman (Tom Noonan) comes on campus looking for a babysitter, Samantha jumps at the opportunity. Once she convinces Megan to give her a ride to the creepy old Ulman house, Samantha learns that the job is not quite what was advertised. Ulman and his wife (Mary Woronov) don't even have a child. He tells Samantha that she just has to stay in the house with his elderly mother-in-law while he and the missus go out to celebrate the lunar eclipse. When she balks at the change of plans, he offers her more money. As the night goes on, it becomes clear that Samantha is a much bigger part of the Ulmans' plans for the evening than she would ever want to be. West established his genre credentials with low-budget cult favorites The Roost (which also starred Noonan) and Trigger Man. The House of the Devil also stars A.J. Bowen and Dee Wallace. The movie had its world premiere in the Midnight section of the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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51,541 ratings

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87 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Ti West

Release Date: October 30, 2009

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DVD Release Date: February 2, 2010

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Flixster Reviews (2,129)

  • moonrivers
    May 11, 2012
    moonrivers
    Tension builds from the very first shot and that is what marks this homage to retro horror as special, as nothing has even happened yet. Chilling. With tips-of-the-hat along the way to many of the great horror films, fans will enjoy simply guessing/remembering what shots came f... read morerom what movies, too many to list here. I thought it was made in the early 80's ... imagine my surprise.
  • flixsterman
    March 18, 2012
    flixsterman
    A throwback to those 70's/80's horror films I knew and loved. Very retro, very creepy, very nicely done.
  • axadntpron
    February 11, 2012
    axadntpron
    A real treat for genre purists. Rarely do horror fans get treated to a real slow burn. Horror now a days is so chalk full of frenetic editing and poorly paced thrills. This film is an exercise in atmosphere and for those who can stomach the unnervingly languid pace, an event wort... read moreh savoring.
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    November 1, 2011
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Not a bad effort, but it has it's ups and downs. Good atmosphere, avoids many of the traps of the genre, but it doesn't have enough ideas to fill the lenght. With some polishing Mr West might pull out a real horror classic in the future, he has the right eye and the right sensibi... read morelity for the material, he just needs a better script.
  • blkbomb
    October 31, 2011
    blkbomb
    Samantha: Hi, I'm calling in regards to the babysitter flier posted outside my dorm room.

    "Talk on the phone. Finish your homework. Watch T.V. Die!"

    I have no problem saying that this is in my top 10 favorite horror films of all-time. Ti West does a nice little throwback/homage... read more to 70's, 80's horror. The picture is grainy, the credits are exactly like an cheap horror film and the soundtrack is spotless. I love how he included Greg Kihn's Breakup Song in the soundtrack that has the line, "They don't write em like that anymore." It is sort of West's way of saying that horror movies just aren't what they used to be. 

    The story is straightforward. A college student wants to get a place of her own, and she needs to come up with the money for the place. She sees a flier for a babysitter and decides to take the guy up on it. That's about as far as I'll go into plot for two reasons. A) There really isn't that much more to tell. B) I don't want to accidentally give anything away.

    This film is extremely slow and if you don't like slow burn horror, then don't watch this. If you do, this is heaven. For me, this is the closest to perfection a horror film has been since The Shining. The first 30 minutes is all getting to know Samantha and her situation. I grew to like her quick. Then she gets to the house and still, nothing much happens. I love the scenes where she wanders the house. West plays off what we expect from a standard horror film very well.

    Then finally we get to an amazing last sequence that rivals any horror sequence I have ever seen. I must mention how the scene starts out because I found it to be the coolest thing ever. You won't get much out of this description if you haven't seen it, but here it is anyway. The screen is black and then a red moon flashes onto the screen three times, slowly to an almost heartbeat like drumming. Then black again, a lighter flicks on three times to the same heartbeat. Then black again, Samantha in her "situation" pops up three times to the same heartbeat. Then the camera goes crazy to some of the most bizarre and surreal music I have ever heard. The first time I watched this scene I sat motionless, in awe of just how well done it was. Then I finished the movie, went back to the start of the ending, and watched it again.

    Everybody has that movie that feels like it was almost made just for them. These type of movies don't have big stars in them and they don't have big budgets. They feel personal somehow. This is that movie for me. It is absolutely perfect in my opinion. I honestly believe this to be the best horror film since that has come out in the last 25 plus years. I love it that much.
  • RCCLBC
    October 5, 2011
    RCCLBC
    A superbly made homage to 80's horror films. It's one of those films where 5 minutes in I had to double check the release date as it looks and feels completely of the era.

    It really is an admirable achievement that director Ti West was able to capture so completely all of the... read more GREAT aspects of 80's horror films while deftly triming away the gratuitous nudity and sex that (while at times ammusing) very often pulls you "out" of the film.

    It's hard not to compare it to Rosemary's Baby (my pal Quinto put it best: "Rosemary's Babysitter") as it has that same slow build to a final horror filled climax (not to mention a satanic cult). But while this film is quite good...it is not (overall) the same caliber of film.

    It might be "too slow" for today's "sensory overload" addicts, but I found that it was written and acted in such a way that the pacing (ultimately) works perfectly to help develope the characters and the tension.

    I think (most) fans of horror films, will be pleasantly surprised by this film.
  • MidnightMadwoman
    June 20, 2011
    MidnightMadwoman
    Fascinating. This movie looks exactly like it was made in 1973, and that illusion is flawless. It recreates the whole Rosemary's Baby vibe, but unfortunately it also recreates all the bad things about that movie culture as well: the story really drags, the narrative really lacks ... read morefocus and I didn't find any of the characters particularly engaging. I think HotD tries to create an atmosphere of slow-burn dread, but there is too much "slow" and not enough "burn". I wish this movie had a little more energy. In fact, it does display one burst of action that clashes with the rest of the glacial pace here that it creates a really really jarring scare. Therein resides the value of this movie. That one moment is so good that it's almost worth sitting through the rest of this movie. It's not bad, but just make sure that you take some Ritalin before you turn this movie on.
  • adammahler1
    March 10, 2011
    adammahler1
    It's supposed to be a tribute to American horror movies of the late-70s-early-80s, but an above-average American horror movie in 1982 was not this good and not nearly as devoted to atmosphere and stretching the length of shots out until suspense hangs so heavy in the frame that w... read moree want it to end but we're not sure if we can deal with it exploding into violence. For that style, West seems to be taking lessons from Roth and Tarantino and perhaps some of the European horror in the 70s that influenced them.

    He borrows that the general approach but fully owns the realism and understatement in the dialogue, which give the movie a docudrama quality. Greta Gerwig and Dee Wallace have a talent for selling the dialogue like it coincidentally shows artistic precision. With everything underexposed like in Godfather Part 2, a lot of House of the Devil feels like an arty docudrama about a campfire story.
  • lewiskendell
    February 22, 2011
    lewiskendell
    "Don't worry. You're going to be just fine. Both of you."

    We horror fans are a diverse bunch. What appeals to one of us in a horror movie will inspire disapproval from another and boredom from a third. House of the Devil is a good horror movie, but you'll probably need a few (no... read moren-spoilery) details to decide if it's for you.

    First of all, it's almost totally reliant on tension and atmosphere, from beginning to end. Almost all of the action and mayhem is concentrated in the last 20 minutes of the movie. Most of the hour before that is spent alone with our main character Samantha (Jocelin Donahue). There's not a lot of story exposition, you discover what's going on as Samantha does. Desperate for money, she agrees to an urgent request for a babysitter, despite her own reservations and those of her friend. It's clear from the moment she arrives at the house that something odd and perhaps sinister is going on, but what?

    Some people will be bored to tears by House of the Devil. It requires patience from the viewer, and a willingness to lose yourself in the suspense. There's no humor to distract you, and you have to pay attention to put together the clues of what's happening, just like Samantha does. The story, when fully revealed, isn't something that we haven't seen before, but it felt somewhat fresh because of the lean, minimalistic way in which it was presented.

    Gore-hounds may not be satisfied, and neither will those people who prefer high kill counts, lots of jump scares, and constant gratification. There's a lot to like here, including the excellent early 80's setting, the solid performance of Donahue, and the way the sheer creepiness of the movie will settle into your bones, if you let it. In the mood for a horror movie with a somewhat different approach? Give House of the Devil a try.
  • FilmFanatik
    January 17, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    I could go on an on about the way this film was made, the 16mm film that was used to shoot it, the pans, zooms and other camera moves...I could, but it would be much easier if you just see it for yourself. I think the film is quite brilliant and a return to form for a modern-day... read more horror film that was made in the "old" style. Those who felt is was boring and lead nowhere missed the point entirely and are better off sticking to their modern-day, over-the-top and frenetic schlock & shock fests that are pumped out a dime a dozen these days.

View All The House of the Devil Reviews

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
December 17, 2009
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

In keeping with his models, West is concerned with not suspense exactly but the ritual withholding and ultimate lavishing of bloody chaos. Full Review

Ty Burr
December 3, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

West, a rising young director of minor cult pleasures, comes clean here about his love for all things Bava (Mario) and Carpenter (John). Full Review

Peter Hartlaub
November 19, 2009
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

There's a payoff in The House of the Devil, if you have the patience. Some of the scenes seem draggy, but the characters are complex, and their motivations are explained. Full Review

Michael Phillips
November 12, 2009
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

Even the familiar tropes of The House of the Devil are familiar in the right way, like an old, bloodstained sweater. Full Review

Roger Ebert
November 12, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The film may provide an introduction for some audience members to the Hitchcockian definition of suspense: It's the anticipation, not the happening, that's the fun. Full Review

Kyle Smith
October 30, 2009
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Although the payoff is creepy, it takes a little too long to arrive -- and when it does, it's about as worn-out as the movie's title. Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek
October 30, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

The House of the Devil is really a romance: a love letter to the kind of gal we thought had given up the ghost. Full Review

Robert Abele
October 30, 2009
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

West's assured way with widescreen framing, long takes and silences followed by sharp if explainable noise are almost cruelly funny in their heart-stopping pleasures. Full Review

Manohla Dargis
October 29, 2009
Manohla Dargis, New York Times

After years of vivisectionist splatter, here is a horror movie with real shivers.

Claudia Puig
October 29, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

West avoids cliché and cheesiness with wise casting choices. Donahue's naturalistic performance is as persuasive as the subtly sinister portrayals by Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov. Full Review

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