Review: ‘His House’ is Easily One of 2020’s Best Horror Films

his house REVIEW
His House | Netflix
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With as strange has 2020 has been, most of the horror film releases have come from VOD services. Sure, we still haven’t gotten to see the massive theater releases like Halloween Kills or Nia DaCosta’s Candyman, but often I wonder if this has been something that the horror genre has needed. Maybe the genre has finally gotten the focus shifted to what horror fans have been asking for, for years. Lesser-known directors and actors are getting more spotlights, foreign horror films are getting put in front of American eyes, and films that would normally struggle with distribution costs are being viewed and appreciated by the masses.

In fact, my favorite horror film of the year has been Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor, which may not have even gotten a national theater release. I’ve been praising Shudder all year for their exclusive content. They’ve been releasing banger after banger and I may not have seen some of them with all the hype from the big releases filling my brain. Netflix has been quietly trying to play catch-up, with content like The Haunting of Bly Manor, and The Babysitter: Killer Queen, but hadn’t really caught my full attention until now. Remi Weekes’ His House is absolutely a contender for best horror film of the year, and one of the best ghost films, period.

His House follows Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), two Sudanese refugees that escape their war-torn country and seek asylum in England. During their escape, their over-crowded motorboat capsizes, and they lose their daughter to the sea. After receiving probational asylum in the outskirts of London, they are relocated to a broken-down apartment. On top of dealing with PTSD, grief of losing their daughter, and the fear of starting over in an unfamiliar place, Rial believes their apartment is haunted, and they’re being punished by an apeth, a Sudanese night witch that is filling their apartment with ghosts. She believes they must repay a debt from their past to be free of him, before it’s too late.

It needs to be said right away that this is Remi Weekes’ first film. The fact that he came out of the gate swinging with some of the year’s best camera work, cinematography, and art/acting direction in horror is so impressive. Everything about this film is unsettling in the best way. The lighting and sound are perfectly demonstrated. The intense close-up claustrophobic shots and slow pan outs with different color variations from room to room have the audience shifting back and forth with intensity. There are some truly beautiful scenes in this film, both heartbreaking and uplifting. It all feels very genuine and unique to Weekes’ style. He’s making his mark from the get-go, and I am here for it. If I had to compare the style of his film to other directors, I’d say it’s a combination of all the weird-good stuff from later Scorsese films, and all the best creepy stuff from Mike Flanagan’s films. I know, those are big names to be comparing him to. I’m not pulling my punches. I was blown away.

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Bol and Rial are played by Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku, who are both phenomenal in their roles. Both are relatively unknown actors, but Mosaku has gotten a lot of recent recognition for her role as Ruby in HBO’s Lovecraft Country. Both do an incredible job portraying every emotion on the spectrum. Their chemistry is fantastic, not because they’re so good at liking each other, but because they’re masterful at playing off each other’s dissonance. It’s awkward, thought-provoking and intense. We want to know more about their story the entire time we’re watching. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. We need more Black filmmakers and actors in horror (and film in general). We are pigeonholing ourselves and limiting ourselves from experiencing possible masterpieces because it. The African cultural significance of the story in His House is so important for us all to see. There is a lot of horror that goes on in our world that some of us have no idea about. Along with important world events, the story weaves in African folklore throughout, and folklore horror is some of my favorite and most underutilized storytelling. These are stories that have scared millions of people for thousands of years. We should be keeping them alive.

Let’s get to nitty-gritty. This is a horror film, after all. There is a great blend of psychological horror, slow-burn, body horror and well-done jump scares. It seems to cover most of the bases in a way where the audience can’t get too comfortable, regardless of where they turn. The environmental effects and sets are already fantastic at setting a creepy scene, so the fact that the ghost/creature effects look great just adds to the scare factor. There isn’t a lot of gore, but there are a few parts that might make you audibly eek.

I’m not going to spoil anything regarding the way the story goes, but take my word that you’re in for a ride with some twists and turns. The ending is satisfying and left me feeling like I wanted to start the film over and watch it again immediately. It’s too good to say anymore than that. I really, really loved it, and hope you do too. It’s on Netflix now. Don’t sleep on this film!


RELATED: Review: ‘Possessor’ is One of the Year’s Best Horror/Sci-Fi Films

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REVIEW OVERVIEW
His House
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Stephen Rosenberg
Stephen is a massive horror, sci-fi, fantasy and action movie geek. He's an avid horror & sci-fi book/comic reader, musician and podcaster. He co-founded and co-hosts Motion Picture Meltdown (movie-roasting podcast since 2009), which is part of the United Cypher Podcast Network. Stephen is the Editor-at-Large for Horror Geek Life and an Associate Editor and contributing writer for MovieWeb. Feel free to contact him regarding screeners, reviews, press kits, interviews, and more!
review-netflixs-his-house-is-easily-one-of-2020s-best-horror-filmsEasily one of the best horror films of 2020 and recent years. The directing, acting, and storytelling was masterful. Fantastic set design, costume design, practical and CG effects. Represents a strong outing in both Black horror, political horror, and folklore horror. I honestly have no issues with this film. Go watch it!

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