Mind over Matter
Remi Weekes’ directorial debut is deep, empathetic and sinister.
Now, I am by no means the bravest of people or a horror aficionado (if you’ve watched me playing Outlast on Twitch recently this is very very obvious).
But when I first encountered the trailer for this film on Twitter at the beginning of this month, it struck a chord.
Since experiencing Jordan Peele’s Get Out in 2017, I’ve been on a slow (I’m a self-confessed scaredy cat remember) mission to experience more of the horror genre — in everything from books to games, manga and eventually film once I’d mustered up the courage. And what I’ve come to realise is that a lot of mainstream horror is superficial. The overused jumpscares, the expected gags, the “look behind you!” shouted at the screen before the bland MC gets got have all become stale. You rarely connect or empathise with the main character or the tale’s monster in a way that feels meaningful anymore and you can easily guess where the plot devices are going before they’ve unfolded even a third of the way. It’s the rare project that does something new with the murderous vacation trip, the suspense-filled rat race, the tense escape sequence. When films try to get smart, they often become overblown allegories that are too highbrow to be enjoyable experiences for the casual watcher — *cough* Darren Aronofsky's MOTHER, *cough*.
In contrast, His House caught my attention for multiple reasons.
Firstly, that the two main characters are played by dark skinned, black actors — namely Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù of Gangs of London and Black Mirror: Nosedive alongside Wunmi Mosaku of Lovecraft Country (a full detailed review and comparison of HBO’s Lovecraft Country with the original novel is incoming). Their prescene geniunely warms my heart, as considering the richness of our varied cultures, spirituality and origins, black people have a lot to contribute to the horror genre, and black actors are responsible for some of my favourite (or most terrifying) experiences with the genre — Blade, Attack the Block, Candyman, etc.
The main plot — a refugee couple from South Sudan fleeing the horrific violence and suffering through a hellish boat crossing to get the UK — feels eerily topical, especially given the xenophobia and nationalism wracking the world right now, and the increasing number of refugees fleeing strife in their home nations. Bol (Dìrísù) and Rial’s (Mosaku) chilly reception upon arrival is also accurate, along with the visible effort they go through to attempt to “fit in” to this unnamed English town, despite the alienation and condescension they’re subjected to from the outside world and from each other once they begin to fall apart. Its subtly present even in the composition of the shots as the film progresses. In one scene, Rial is attempting to find her way to the church marked out on a handrawn map by her husband and the world around her is empty — no people once the lone teenager harassing her falls away, only grey sky and closed, imposing buildings, in comparison to the warm toned, packed scenes in Sudan, whether they are wartorn or happier, reinforcing the underying message that they do not belong there.
The third and last reason is the psychological & supernatural elements and how Remi Weekes has incorporated both so smoothly into the story, along with the talent of the actors keeping you invested in their respective performances. It’s not all about the special effects, the frightening appearances, the jumpscares. And even those are handled well, with the jumpscares often happening before I had braced myself for them. The intense focus on Bol and Rial’s mental degradation as they scramble to process the massive shift in their world and the soul crushing grief at the loss of their daughter, the growing distance between the couple, the unease as the cracks begin to show to the uncaring/ unnerved public, the difference in their approaches to the supernatural phenomenon hunting them — all of these add up to make a really interesting back and forth pull across the screen while you watch.
A more detailed review of this film — including spoilers will be cross posted to my own personal website once my site uprgades are complete but for now — Happy Halloween, and watch this fresh take on the haunted house trope on Netflix. I was gobsmacked at the huge plot twist Weekes snuck in, and this is a well shot, short horror film that illustrates just how drastically our state of mind can taint our view of the world.
4/5
Alchemist approved.
