Today Brandon gets the pleasure of talking about a film he missed in 2020, His House!
His House!
Movie Details:
- Release Date: 2020
- “Run”time: 1 hour 33 minutes
- Where to watch it: Streaming
- Directed by: Remi Weekes
- Written by: Remi Weekes
- Starring:
- Sope Dirisu
- Wunmi Mosaku
- Malaika Wakoli-Abigaba
- Matt Smith
Synopsis: Sudan refugees are haunted by their past, the British government, and their new home.
Open Stab Wounds (out of 10): 10
Review: His House is our first haunted house movie this month, which I’m kind of shocked by. There are so many haunted house films to fill up on. For some reason though, the idea of another haunted house movie in my life isn’t very interesting (although I can always use The Changeling in my life). I came into the film with a hesitant bias for what I expected from this one. I’m happy to admit that I was wrong to come in so close-minded.
From the start, His House introduces us to a few different worlds that my Americanized, suburban self wasn’t used to. We meet Bol (Sope Dirisu) and his wife Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) along with their daughter Nyagak (Malaika Wakoli-Abigaba) as ocean-bound refugees trying to escape Sudan. After what seems to be tragedy, we shift scenes to Bol and Rial in a detainment center. There they are given the good news that the British government will provide them a home and a paycheck for 6 months. They are told that they must report in and must be on their best behavior otherwise they’ll go back into detainment.
This immediately sets up an external pressure for them to have to stay in the house. All horror genres have their specific tropes: the cell phone is dead, they ran out of gas, etc. Haunted House films must come up with a reason for why the family can’t run away from the ghosts. What makes His House’s trope unique is that it is not a supernatural bit of tension to keep Bol and Rial in the home. They *want* to live there, and if they want to stay there, they must adjust to the ghosts; otherwise, the British government will kick them out.
In pretty short order, Bol and Rial start to experience ghosts in the house. Why the ghosts are there and how the film is resolved is one of the things I liked the most about the movie. As has been standard for us, we’re avoiding spoilers, but I’ll say that the supernatural aspects were very effective. The way certain scenes were shot, both from a framing and a lighting perspective, made the appearance of the ghosts extra creepy. It’s not often I get chills watching a movie anymore, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t get goosebumps more than once.
One of the things I liked most about His House is that it wasn’t a story I’d seen before. One of the great things about horror (which I’ve talked about before) is that it gives creators a chance to explore stories from their unique perspectives. His House tells us a story about Sudan refugees and the horrors they faced and continue to face in a new country. Bol and Rial escape terror and must adjust to a new version of it. Their story is haunting, it’s sad, and it’s told through the context of trying to start fresh… that’s even before we take the supernatural into account.
Of all the movies we’ve talked about so far this month, I think this might be the one I want to sit down with and pull apart. It challenges my experiences, assumptions, and perceptions. I hope I’m not alone with recognizing how good a film it is.
KEVIN’S THOUGHTS:
Watching the trailer for this I figured it was going to be a decent ghost story. I was not expecting a deep commentary on tragedy, loss, escaping poor situations, and adapting to new surroundings. I was expecting to enjoy this film, but I was not expecting how much I’d enjoy it. The acting, cinematography, and creature effects were all fantastic. The performances by Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku really brought you into the story. If you’re looking for a great ghost story or just for something a little different, I highly recommend this one.
9 out of 10
Thanks for reading and watching along with us! Be sure to keep up with all 31 days of our Halloween Horror Film coverage!
Oh, and make sure to follow Brandon on Twitter @BarnyardCruz and Kevin @Solucid!