✯✯✯ 1/2
Ti West's The House of the Devil has all the great workings of essential 80's horror classics. He even nails the grainy cinematography and the oftimes cheesy overacting of the characters from horror films of that time. He manages to recreate a realistic 1980's atmosphere that never falls short, like the vain attempt in The Box. Instead, everything is corded, the televisions are tubes, and the old Coke logo is back in full view.
Ti does everything possible to make sure that we are fully aware that this is set in the 80's, even going as far as making the opening credits sequence a traditional title-card style montage. It's a level of homage that I love to see in some newer horror films, and it's nailed perfectly in this film.
The House of the Devil starts at an incredibly slow pace, taking its sweet time to build up its story and character motivations. We start with Samantha, a college student in dire need of money to pay the first month's rent for her new home. Her friend, a cautious but supportive girl, gives her tidbits of advice, warning her not to accept this mysterious babysitting job. She doesn't trust the man offering the job, a strange half bald kook who hobbles about on a cane named Mr. Ulman. Speaking of which, why are canes used as such an ominous prop for characters in cinema nowadays? The cane should be an elegant prop piece, a gentleman's support if he has a walking condition. People like to associate canes with a sign of introversion, and yet I've had a strange love for canes almost all my life. Sometimes I find myself in medical need of a cane due to a condition that affects my ability to walk long distances, and it's always an incredibly useful tool. Really though, Mr. Ulman emulates every creepy gatekeeper-type horror character of the 20th century, and his mannerisms chilled me down the spine.
If I were to pick the best emulation of 80's horror cinema, I would probably have to go with It Follows. The problem with The House of the Devil is that it takes so long to get to where it's going that I began to question if I was really watching a horror film or just a big 80's homage. However, when Samantha arrives at the house, I could instantly tell that something was off. The Ulman family just gives off an incredibly eerie feeling, and successfully personify classic creepy horror characters from the best of the 80's. It takes a while to get where it wants to go, but once the feeling of dread and fear overtake you, the film doesn't let up. The last ten minutes or so are some of the most intense moments I've ever seen in a horror film, and really kept me on edge after taking me completely by surprise. The House of the Devil is a slow-paced 80's homage horror film that eventually picks up and doesn't let you go. It's a unique endeavor that stands out on its own fairly well.