The Night House

This year the low-key Bruckner has confidently overshadowed even the hitmaker James Wan. And he is shaping up to be the new master of psychological horror, as he is able to guide even the most experienced genre viewer through new catacombs of mystery and fear by uncovering mysteries through blind alleys in which we, as viewers connected to the main character, have never found ourselves before, supported by intense goosebumps and scares that come when we don’t expect them and that, for our peace of mind, we perhaps don’t even want. Brilliant. And with a metaphysical aspect that doesn’t seem out of place, but is grounded in the trauma of human tragedy with unanswered questions. (10/10/2021)

A serious psychological horror film for adults, children will be bored in the multiplexes. The Dark House stands on the excellent performance of Rebecca Hall, who really nails it, making us believe her overwhelmed character of a wife consumed by insecurity and fear. I also liked the nicely built mythology around the boogeyman (where he came from and what he did), it's just a pity that there are a few ambiguities associated with him (why he did it that way). Anyway, I expected a bit more intense scares from Bruckner (especially after the excellent Ritual). 7/10 (04/09/2021)

David Bruckner is a director I like a lot. With The Ritual he surprised everyone, and with Southbound he blew me away. I was looking forward to his upcoming horror film, but I didn't expect him to deliver it in such a Flanagan style! Rebecca Hall acts convincingly, but I wasn't really into her digging into the past and uncovering the truth. I was hoping for some kind of mindfuck with parallel worlds, a peek behind the curtain to the other side, and not an indirect rip-off of The Invisible Man, which is how it feels in places. It's pretty complicated and confusing and I'm not sure if it's quite fleshed-out. I didn't notice any jump-scares, and there’s certainly no gore, so it didn't work for me at all. I don't know how to rate this film, I didn't enjoy it enough to give it 3 stars, on the other hand 2 stars don't seem enough, and I like Bruckner so I'll stay on neutral ground. But I am not thrilled. Story 3/5, Action 1/5, Humor 0/5, Violence 0/5, Fun 3/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 1/5, Actors 4/5. 5/10. (07/10/2021)

With minor reservations, The Night House is actually the best horror movie I have seen in months. In addition, I am fully prepared to watch it again and possibly increase the rating. I really like mature horror movies like this. (16/11/2021)

This is an excellent psychological thriller; it forces you to keep your brain cells working throughout the movie. And the more contemplative viewers will be left ruminating long after the movie finishes. The atmosphere, music and R. Hall herself are all perfect. The denouement might not suit everybody, but I am happy. There were too few scary moments, but those that saw worked very well. The movie concentrates more on the psychological side of things and plays with the viewer’s imagination, which is a good thing and certainly positive for the movie. (08/09/2021)