When his parents die in a car crash, brainy college student Ethan (Thomas Mann) assumes the role of primary caretaker for his younger siblings, Matt (Percy Hynes White) and Becca (Kate Moyer). While doing this, he continues his work on a device that would create wireless electricity. Unwittingly, though, his device opens a portal to another dimension. Ethan and his brother and sister are convinced that the ghosts that have come through are their dead parents. But can they be sure?
To give any more away would be to detract from the beautifully slow-burning ghost story that is Our House. Based on the 2010 film Ghost from the Machine, the film is directed by Toronto-born and buzzworthy director Anthony Scott Burns. Burns is not afraid to let his scenes and camera do a lot of the work. It pays off, as the film truly invokes a sense of dread without ever having to rely on cheap scares. Instead, the horror of this film comes from emotional pains, as well as an atmosphere that can seamlessly transform from warm to horrific.
Burns places you right at the very heart of the grieving family, and you will find yourself experiencing all of their love, grief, and terror. Speaking of the family, the three young actors are rising stars worth watching. Thomas Mann plays Ethan with a sincerity and realism that is rare in these types of films.
Meanwhile, Percy Hynes White and Kate Moyer remind us that young actors can give understated yet effective performances. Together, the three more than manage Nathan Parker’s very smart screenplay. The old ‘parents die and the kids fall apart’ trope is carefully avoided. Parker’s script never falls victim to clichés. Instead, it steadies itself with very precise emotional appeals, focusing on how just how much our love can blind us and how far we will go for the ones we love and lost.
Another feather in this film’s cap definitely belongs to composer Mark Korven. Korven is probably best known to genre fans for his work on The Witch. The title song and music composition for this film are simply amazing.
The only small complaint horror fans will have about this IFC release is that it does take its time. Not that this is always a bad thing. But, fans of guts, gore, and quick action might struggle to make it to the final conflict between the family and their ghosts. But if you enjoy character-driven ghost stories, and appreciate substantial plots backed by well-developed characters and emotionally-driven scares, then Our House is a can’t miss.
