(Streamed via HBO Max)
Rebecca Hall gives a devastating performance as a grieving woman who is despondent after the suicide of her husband (Evan Jonigkeit). Soon after his death, she begins having strange dreams and starts to feel as if there is a supernatural presence in her house. She eventually discovers her husband had some dark secrets, such as a string of affairs with women who look suspiciously like her. Most troubling of all, is the fact he built a nearly identical home (except everything’s in reverse) in the middle of the woods.
Without the strong central performance by Hall, The Night House would’ve crumbled like a house of cards. She is electrifying and surprisingly funny too as she uses her grief as an excuse to spit venom at people who test her patience. The standout scene is when she has a conference with a bitchy parent who wants to know why their kid got a C on an assignment. This scene is a seriocomic masterpiece that ranks right up there with anything in Manchester by the Sea. Too bad the horror stuff never comes close to getting under your skin the way this scene does.
Hall is surrounded by a great supporting cast too. Vondie Curtis Hall has some strong scenes as a concerned neighbor who might have a clue as to Hall’s husband’s shenanigans. Sarah (Barry) Goldberg is equally fine as Hall’s friend who might know more than she lets on.
There were times I flirted with giving The Night House ***. Unfortunately, the mystery behind Hall’s husband’s philandering and his ominous nocturnal carpentry is markedly less involving than the stuff with her grieving and drinking excessively. The ending is a bit of a letdown too, which is the main reason I couldn’t quite recommend it (although it is well-worth seeing just for Hall alone). On the plus side, director David Bruckner (who just directed the upcoming Hellraiser reboot) does a solid job establishing the mood and gives the scenes where Hall is alone in her home a nice creepy edge.
Then again, they might not have been as effective if it wasn’t for Hall’s performance. Usually, scenes of characters investigating strange noises down dark hallways get repetitive. Since the ones in this flick feature Hall being surly after too many glasses of wine, they have an entertaining spark about them. I just wish the script The Night House was built on had a better foundation.
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