The House of the Devil

Name: The House of the Devil
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Released: October 30, 2009
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 73
Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Mary Woronov, Tom Noonan

2009

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 103 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 103 Ratings

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The House Of The Devil

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnet Releasing | Release Date: October 30, 2009 | R

Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Mary Woronov, Tom Noonan

Summary: Sam is a pretty college sophomore, so desperate to earn some cash for a deposit on an apartment that she accepts a babysitting job even after she finds out there is no baby. Mr. and Mrs. Ulman are the older couple who lure Sam out to their creeky Victorian mansion deep in the woods, just in time for a total lunar eclipse. Megan is Sam’sSam is a pretty college sophomore, so desperate to earn some cash for a deposit on an apartment that she accepts a babysitting job even after she finds out there is no baby. Mr. and Mrs. Ulman are the older couple who lure Sam out to their creeky Victorian mansion deep in the woods, just in time for a total lunar eclipse. Megan is Sam’s best friend, who gives her a ride out to the house, and reluctantly leaves her there despite suspecting that something is amiss. Victor at first seems like just a creepy guy lurking around the house, but quickly makes it clear that Sam will end this night in a bloody fight for her life. (Magnolia Pictures)… Expand

Director: Ti West

Genre(s): Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 95 min

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Critic Reviews

Michael Phillips

It is a fine little old-school thriller. Read full review

Noel Murray

If nothing else, Ti West’s retro “Satan rules!” thriller The House Of The Devil gets the look and tone of early-’80s horror schlock exactly right. Read full review

Andy Klein

The buildup is undeniably effective; for most of the movie, it provides the same kind of thrills as "Paranormal Activity," if somewhat less brilliantly. Read full review

Ty Burr

An almost fetishistic re-creation of a horror-suspense movie from around 1978. Read full review

Nick Pinkerton

Pumping the audience with inhale-exhale zooms and out-of-the-way close-ups, director Ti West's ratcheting of suspense in this alone-in-an-empty-house tale is proficient, if not psychologically piercing, in the best "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" fashion. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Writer and director Ti West accesses all the hot buttons for fans of the genre in a manner that doesn't make fun of it (and its followers) in a "Scary Movie" way, but instead treats it with the appropriate amount of respect. (Key word: appropriate.) Read full review

Kirk Honeycutt

This is the perfect illustration of the banality of most scare movies. Read full review

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User Reviews

TarekM.

Jan 1, 2010

Finally a correct homage to the 80's horror flicks without any stupid quotes or irony. Rock on Ti West!

3 of 3 users found this helpful

AndrewK.

Nov 12, 2009

To those who have said the pay-off is not worth the build-up, I'd say maybe they're not approaching the film the right way. The build-up IS the pay-off. The fear and anticipation seething greater and greater (a fear and anticipation our heroine believes she is feeling naively) is To those who have said the pay-off is not worth the build-up, I'd say maybe they're not approaching the film the right way. The build-up IS the pay-off. The fear and anticipation seething greater and greater (a fear and anticipation our heroine believes she is feeling naively) is what has the viewer on their seats edge despite what seemingly inane activites the heroine is performing. And, to me, when the climax finally does come, it doesn't seem ridiculous as it does surreal (we were warned from the beginning after all).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Meth-dude

Mar 25, 2018

Very good homage to 70's and 80's horror films. The acting was great, the atmosphere was very well done, it was suspenseful and highly entertaining. Despite the very rushed last act, it's still a tremendous horror movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

cjm868

Apr 1, 2016

An awesome throwback to classic suspense/horror movies. It's clear that the best effort has been made to make it look like this film is straight out of the 1970's. It works too, it really does look like a movie that was made in the 70's; The clothes, locations/sets, music, hair etc. are allAn awesome throwback to classic suspense/horror movies. It's clear that the best effort has been made to make it look like this film is straight out of the 1970's. It works too, it really does look like a movie that was made in the 70's; The clothes, locations/sets, music, hair etc. are all spot on... at least they appear to be because I wasn't around back then.

There's a lot of waiting in this movie but that, like the era emulation, is part of what makes The House of the Devil so good. The suspense builds, "when is something going to happen?" is something that went through my mind a few times, not in a bad way, in more of a "the suspense is getting to me," kind of way.

I'd like to see more movies like this.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Oct 18, 2020

The story builds an interesting but never truly compelling suspense.
Naturally, that's why it's never scary.
And sadly, as is often the case in horror films of this type, the payoff is not as interesting or satisfying as you might expect, and therefore it cannot be argued that its initialThe story builds an interesting but never truly compelling suspense.
Naturally, that's why it's never scary.

And sadly, as is often the case in horror films of this type, the payoff is not as interesting or satisfying as you might expect, and therefore it cannot be argued that its initial achievements outweigh the end results.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AndrewS.

Nov 4, 2009

The build-up hints at something great lurking around the corner... and even pushes your wits at anticipation. And pushes it more, and more, and even more still. The only 'scares' are ridiculously unexplainable, coming in the last 5 minutes but are too cheap and too fleeting to The build-up hints at something great lurking around the corner... and even pushes your wits at anticipation. And pushes it more, and more, and even more still. The only 'scares' are ridiculously unexplainable, coming in the last 5 minutes but are too cheap and too fleeting to make up for a movie that really amounts to nothing but an homage to the look (but little else) of 80s horror.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

zach

Feb 10, 2010

The last 10 minutes are just horror cliches. Once the ritual took place i predicted exactly what would happen utterlly horrible no reedeming qualities what so ever.

0 of 2 users found this helpful

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