‘House of Darkness’ is a horror mystery that follows a man who drives home an intriguing woman. Having met Mina at the bar that same night, Hap hopes for a casual hook-up as he drives her to her secluded country manor. There things take an unexpected turn as the two get to know each other and Hap realises he may have walked into a trap.
The film opens with Hap and Mina as they get to know each other, sharing in a number of awkward and revealing conversations, discussing the nature of their character and intentions for the evening. Coming off as frank and inquisitive, Mina tries to coax Hap into revealing his ultimate intentions for their time spent together.
Through uneasy exchanges, Mina eventually uncovers Hap’s goal of a casual hook-up whilst also revealing the nature of his character, namely that of a careless and single-minded man who seeks an easy fling.
Mina’s sister Lucy makes her entrance just as Hap and Mina are about to have sex, scaring Hap, yet in his mind opening up the opportunity to bed both women. As the evening progresses, Lucy and Mina sit with Hap and regale him with a horror story, divulging their identities as vampires, with Nora, their other sister showing up and then revealing their goal of toying with him as revenge for a past wrongdoing to one of them by a group of men.
Enraged and scared, Hap tries to leave, insulting the women. Before he can get away, Mina bites at his throat and Hap dies as the three feast on his blood.
‘House of Darkness’ is a variation of the original Bram Stoker ‘Dracula’, with Mina’s character made all the more obvious after she divulges her name. The pieces fall into place, yet the story does not become obvious in its ultimate aim, as Mina appears to seek more than just the man’s death.
The film veers towards the exploration of female empowerment and revenge as Mina and her sisters initially appear adamant about just wanting to kill him, seeking a more profound aim. Understanding that Hap’s death is imminent, the movie keeps the viewer engaged by following Mina and Lucy as they peel back the layers of Hap’s personality, revealing the simple and somewhat despicable core to his character.
After Lucy retells the ghost story about the young girl who was raped and left for dead, the film packs its strongest horror punch by introducing Nora through a jump-scare. The scare comes as an effective shock and is even called out by Hap as a horror film trope, yet serves it purpose well, as the film does not rely solely cliches to effectively create and maintain a dark and tense tone for the feature.
The film has the feel of a staged play, as most of the action takes place on a few closed sets and rarely strays from them. The minimalistic use of wide-open locations enforces a claustrophobic atmosphere further suggesting that as soon as Hap entered the manor, he was already trapped.
The main cast is comprised of Justin Long as Hap, Kate Bosworth as Mina and Gia Crovatin as Lucy. Long and Bosworth instantly establish an awkward feel to their relationship, reflecting the unease of a couple who have just met and try to overcome the discomfort of familiarizing themselves with one another. Through a phone call Long’s Hap receives from a friend, the man’s intentions are instantly revealed as his facade instantly drops as Mina is not present, revealing him to be a simple guy with a single goal. Thereafter the power dynamic between the two shifts Mina takes charge and steers Hap towards admitting his goals and uncovering his intentions. Long and Bosworth play well off each other and deliver a number of cringe-worthy exchanges, inviting the viewer to sit through the awkwardness Hap ha to endure.
Even though the end of the film becomes apparent as soon as we learn Mina’s name, ‘House of Darkness’ has a fun time leading the viewers through an exploration behind the ‘why’ of the sister’s deeds. The film covers a difficult subject and focuses on the women exacting revenge on men in general, as they lead unsuspecting victims to the domicile and kill them for their vicarious, dark and easy pleasure-seeking ways. Not too subtle, the film is a fresh take on ‘Dracula’ where the shift of the focus for why the vampires do what they do is engaging and allows us to explore a sensitive and incendiary subject.
Score: 3/4
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