Posted in: Movies | Tagged: David Simpson, horror films, Iain Cook, indie films, Louise Stewart, Richard Rankin, Robert Florence, The House of Him, vimeo

The House of Him – Cerebral Horror Returns

By Phil Harris

In recent years, building tension and fear through character, which should be rooted at the heart of any good horror film, has been replaced with indirect shocks and jumps. This lack of ingenuity has unfortunately made many modern horror films seem like a replica of the last and so it is a delight to see Robert Florence move away from this conformity in The House of Him, writing and directing something which, not only makes the audience think, but relies on the interplay between its characters to drive the film to its powerful conclusion.

Made on a shoestring budget, Florence's film not only proves that he understands the genre but that he can use a limited environment well. Lighting and camera angles are handled to great effect, to not only characterise the actors performances but also distort the world they exist in, giving each scene a visceral and raw feel which fits well with the subject matter. This also extends to the script itself Florence, know in Scotland for his comedy, cleverly using those skills to twist scenes around and make something that might feel darkly humorous in one context, highly disturbing here: The peek-a-boo scene being a particularly excellent example, causing the audience to squirm.

Let's not forget the acting too. Louise Stewart and Richard Rankin providing exceptional performances as well as being the perfect foils for each other as the story unfolds. As the victim, Anna, Stewart is powerful, making the audience feel each intonation of her voice, from whisper to angry words – spat out at "Him" the perpetrator of the piece. In response Rankin makes his character disturbingly human, even though he wears a mask through a good half of the film, and it is the fact both performances are so close to the bone that drives the dialogue and film along, creating an air of discomfort and tension which the subject deserves.

The supporting cast are also excellent and as the film drives towards the conclusion they play a greater part in the story, taking physical form within the piece, whilst initially being voices coming through the radio and walls. To complement the style of film and story Iain Cook and David Simpson's music harks back to the tense tones familiar in John Carpenter classics proving, yet again, that big budget scores, filming and production values matter little when you have clear direction, strong performances and a good script. Indeed the fact this review has not even touched on the subject matter of The House of Him should be telling about the quality of this film and the less you know before you see it the more the films message will hit home, making you stop to consider its impact.

The House of Him is not going to appeal to everyone and anyone watching should be aware that the production budget was less than £1000, however what that money managed to create is something of raw brilliance. Sure it has some rough edges but they are easily covered by performance, script and direction.

Those looking for silky big budget Hollywood tricks are not going to find them here but others, wanting a far more cerebral and brilliant horror based about character should support this film.

The House of Him is available for purchase on Vimeo.

Phil Harris (@PhilipGHarris) is a games developer and writer currently working with One Thumb Mobile on their MMORPG Celtic Heroes. He also created Zentorii, helped design Nevistech's Pet Roulette for Android devices and is the story writer for Blazing Griffin's new space strategy game Distant Star: Revenant Fleet. To read more about Phil check out his profile on Indie Teamup.

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