Juicy Takes: His House

courtesy of netflix

Welcome to yet another segment (because Juice Demon has a segment-creating addiction) of paranormal horror movie appreciation. This time I’m watching a horror flick for the first time and attempting a thorough and honest review. Today’s pick is the 2020 thriller His House, the directorial debut of British screenwriter Remi Weekes.  

courtesy of netflix

His House is intense from its subject matter to its execution. It demands to be felt. The story follows a refugee couple from South Sudan, who are adjusting with fragile hope to their potential new life in Britain after a harrowing and traumatic journey from their war-torn home.

Rial—played by Wunmi Mosaku—is hesitant to embrace their new home as it invites the weight of prejudice and lacks the comforts of her culture, while Bol—played by Sope Dirisu—is desperately clinging to the romantic notions of a new and better life (separate from the horrific tragedy they left behind in South Sudan). As they both attempt to acclimate to their environment with varying degrees of enthusiasm, they are visited separately by a sinister presence lurking in their assigned asylum residence.

courtesy of netflix

Let’s Dive In, Shall We? 

First, the cinematography of this movie is absolutely breathtaking. It’s a visual delight from start to finish—even in the spookier scenes where “delight” is the furthest emotion on the spectrum.

Each shot is so beautifully crafted, every colour scheme so dreamily captivating, that I had to force myself to feel the tense grip of fear the scenes intended. This is not to say that the film doesn’t deliver some genuine and original scary moments, because it does.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Though many of the scares in His House are predictable (in the sense that if you’ve watched a good deal of haunted house movies, you won’t be overly shocked by them), there are a few standouts that I appreciated. Weekes makes great use of space in his shots, as well as some nail-biting moments enhanced entirely by the clever use of lighting. Never has a movie evoked such a visceral sense of being swallowed whole by darkness—a feeling I won’t soon forget.

courtesy of netflix

The storytelling is phenomenal. Weekes expertly charts his narrative path; the plot progresses patiently and with purpose. Not a single shot or tremulous moment of quiet emotion goes unappreciated. As the climax rears its monstrous head, there isn’t one second of it that feels unearned.  

The horror lore of His House brings its own fascinations. The evil in Bol and Rial’s house is given a name, in fact, Rial recognizes its origins nearly immediately (something that feels fresh in the moment, diverging from the typical “what the fuck is happening in our house” reactiveness of most horror movie protagonists).

Bol and Rial are being haunted by an apeth, or “night witch”. It’s an impressive foe that seems to feed on the sins of those it follows, wreaking psychological havoc (Juice Demon is hyperfixating on Cerebral Killers, this is now an indisputable fact) and maintaining a persistent and dreadful objective.

Defining Characteristics 

What makes His House a standout is its delicate handling of the real-life subject of the South Sudan refugee crisis, and the incredibly poignant portrayals of that experience by the film’s two stellar leads.

Mosaku and Dirisu are mesmerizing, both in their individual characterizations and their effortless dynamic. If I could time travel to the 93rd Academy Awards to personally hand them Best Actor and Best Actress, I would do so in a heartbeat. I can’t emphasize enough how enthralled I was with their combined screen presence. The raw and breathless vigor with which they embrace their roles is magnetic, and only intensifies as their characters’ stories unfold.

All these pieces come together seamlessly to pull off a heart-wrenching and devastating plot twist that not only fits perfectly into the established narrative, but had me pouring over its implications in my mind for hours in painstaking detail. If I had seen His House in theatres, I would have all but pounced at the opportunity to pester whoever joined me with questions meant to poke holes in the black-and-white fixtures of humanity.

Those post-watch moments—wherein I’m fit to burst with analytic energy and vibrating with speculative theories—are the ones that cement the viewing experience into my memory. If a movie can inspire that, it’s already established itself in my mind as a new favourite.

If it wasn’t clear already, His House gets a rating of six skulls.

Would I recommend this movie? Vehemently and with razzle dazzle. Would I watch more movies directed by Weekes and starring Mosaku and Dirisu? Without question and with reverence. Will I ever stop obsessing over guilt-grief monster metaphors in paranormal horror films? Odds are: the odds are bad.

If you want to see more of Ghost Writers and their resident fiend of cinematic mayhem, Juice Demon, follow us on social media! Stay tuned for the next ghostly chapter, if you dare…

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PICREW RIGHTS BELONG TO @COZMICCHU, DESIGN BY JUICE DEMON

Juice Demon

Juice Demon is a harbinger of chaos from a dark dimension. She daylights as a student in the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College. She is an enthusiast of carefully curated horror movie marathons, bonfire cracklings, and imagining the alternate universe in which Willem Dafoe is cast as The Joker.

Never Trust a Tomato: As Above, So Below

courtesy of universal pictures

Welcome to the segment of second chances, where I give you fresh perspectives on critically underappreciated horror flicks and persuade you to see them in a different light. On the docket today is As Above, So Below—the 2014 found-footage mind trip that explores everything Hell and magic have to offer.

Are We Absolutely Sure What Direction We’re Going?

The film centers on its ridiculously impressive protagonist, Scarlett Marlowe. She’s an Indiana Jones-Lara Croft hybrid, an archaeologist with several degrees who’s fluent in heaps of languages.

courtesy of universal pictures

Using her deceased father’s research, she intends to locate the notorious and ever-elusive Philosopher’s stone. (No, Harry Potter didn’t invent that).

Collecting strays along the way with varying motivations for joining her, Marlowe leads the rag-tag group underground for a much more sinister tour than they expected.

 Unpacking The Lore

The characters’ experience in the catacombs dips its skeletal fingertips into every paranormal puddle, from ghosts to demons to psychological torment and back again. It’s a delightful mixed bag of mythical treasure, science-magic, theistic afterlife, and real-life historical mysteries.

The Philosopher’s Stone: Probably Not Worth all the Terror

According to alchemical lore, the Philosopher’s stone is a substance that turns any metal into gold and brings people back from the dead. Legend says that it was discovered by 17th-century scribe Nicolas Flamel, who used its power to achieve immortality.

courtesy of warner bros. pictures

The Catacombs: Not Nearly as Wholesome as Brushing a Cat

The Catacombs of Paris are underground ossuaries—dating back to 1774—that hold the remains of over six million people. The tunnel network was created to help with the city's overflowing cemeteries. The depth and magnitude of this “Empire of Death” is staggering, less than two of its 200 miles is open to the public, though some brave souls choose to explore its uncharted territory. Vacation, anyone?

Dante’s Inferno: The Levels of Hell in Their Cinematic Glory

My favourite aspect of As Above, So Below is its connection to Inferno—a section of Dante Alighieri’s 14th century epic poem, Divine Comedy. It explores Dante’s journey through the nine concentric circles of Hell. Through foreshadowing and creative parallels, As Above, So Below honours that concept by mirroring some of those levels as the characters descend further into the catacombs.

Massive props to the screenwriters and director for taking “the devil’s in the details” so literally. Easter eggs and nerdly nuggets of this caliber elevate the experience and leave me devouring all the in-depth analyses I can find.

Take These W’s

As Above, So Below lacks the low-quality shakiness of other found footage due to it canonically being a “documentary.” The setting is captured in glorious high-definition, and most impressively—it was filmed in the ACTUAL catacombs. You can almost feel the thickness in the cave’s air and taste the dust that shoots out from the ancient stones.

Moreover, the scenes in tight spaces do a tremendous job of creating a disturbingly claustrophobic viewing experience. DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE BEFORE EXPLORING A CAVE. Seriously, these white-knuckled moments will derail your entire spelunking mission (or rock collecting, I don’t know you).

courtesy of universal pictures

courtesy of universal pictures

Finally, the movie’s biggest selling point I can throw at you is its exploration of psychological torment. (Yikes, 1408 and now this? Juice Demon has a thing for brain torture, alert the media). Rather than having throwaway characters only meant to die gruesome deaths, each member of Marlowe’s troupe has a special significance through their backstory.

All the characters have a “sin” they haven’t atoned for that’s paid for through torment or death. Through each horrific encounter with the evils of the catacombs, the characters and the audience are forced to contemplate the concepts of morality, innocence, guilt and grief. As Above, So Below is a beautifully-crafted parallel of internal and external demons that exposes the painful complexities of humanity, and it deserves your unbiased consideration.

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PICREW RIGHTS BELONG TO @COZMICCHU, DESIGN BY JUICE DEMON

Juice Demon

Juice Demon is a harbinger of chaos from a dark dimension. She daylights as a student in the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College. She is an enthusiast of carefully curated horror movie marathons, bonfire cracklings, and imagining the alternate universe in which Willem Dafoe is cast as The Joker.

Hall of Hallowed Horror: 1408

courtesy of metro-goldwyn-mayer

Welcome to the first installment of Hall of Hallowed Horror, where I take deep dives into my absolute favourite horror films to honour their legendary status. Today’s showcase features the paranormal-psychological triumph that is 1408, based on a 1999 short story in Stephen King’s audiobook collection, Blood and Smoke.

Dedicated to the real ones who understood the reference in my last post.

courtesy of walt disney studios

At the heart of this pulse-pounding tale is the jaded soul of middling author and weary cynic Mike Enslin, played masterfully by John Cusack. Enslin is a faithless man with a played-out plan, staying overnight at supposedly haunted locations to chance a paranormal encounter for his 10 Haunted Hotels series. None of them spark his interest or yield any results, validating his nihilistic outlook.

 “Even if they did [exist], there’s no god to protect us from them is there?” – Mike Enslin

Until, that is, he gets a mysterious postcard from the fictional Dolphin Hotel in New York City with a cryptic message.

courtesy of metro-goldwyn-mayer

Enslin—with the help of his agent—scores a meeting with the hotel manager Gerald Olin, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Their ten-minute discussion is effectively the last scene of the movie that isn’t possessed by the sinister presence occupying room 1408.

(1 + 4 + 0 + 8 = 13 that’s quick maths. On the “fourteenth” (13th) floor no less. Lots of spooky number action going on.)

Cusack and Jackson navigate this battle of wits brilliantly. The pushback is clearly the first excitement Enslin has had in his career in a while, and he clings to it. Meanwhile, Olin just wants him the fuck away from that room. The audience catches on—to deliciously suspenseful effect—that Olin’s warnings are sincere as they are bone-chilling. Inevitably, Enslin finds himself standing in front of the creaky, discoloured door of room 1408 and takes his first dreaded step inside.

Why It Works

The success of this movie isn’t in the individual scares, but the white-knuckled build-up that puts any slasher to shame. From the POV shots that put you in the room alongside him to the eerie silence only broken by Enslin speaking softly into his trusty recorder, the film’s restraint leading up to its main event pays off beautifully. By the time the room reveals its evil to Enslin, you’ve been thoroughly primed and brought to the edge of fright without the use of a single trope.

courtesy of metro-goldwyn-mayer

I say “evil” because it’s an important distinction. Ghosts have a mortal life driving their presence, whereas what lies in room 1408 is inhuman—making it all the more vicious of a foe. It will push its occupants to the brink until they take their own life, and will pull every sadistic trick in the book to get them there. From their deepest well of grief to their most guarded weaknesses and fears, the evil in 1408 wields its victims’ minds with deadly accuracy.

Some Grievances

I’ve previously mentioned my distaste for excessive jump scares. While most here are executed effectively—using realistic sounds of the room rather than loud instrumentation—there are some that rely on clichés. There are also three endings to 1408 depending which version you’re watching. Only one of them is worth keeping.

courtesy of metro-goldwyn-mayer

If you know, you know. ;)

1408 adeptly handles the classic “haunted” plot while maintaining an underlying thread of humanity. Horror is at its peak when it balances external and internal terrors—grounding its message to remind you how dreadful the human experience can be without any supernatural assistance. Aided by its strong performances and intimate attention to detail, 1408 cements itself as a modern-day classic, and joins a long line of successful adaptations of the work of Stephen: King of Horror.

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PICREW RIGHTS BELONG TO @COZMICCHU, DESIGN BY JUICE DEMON

Juice Demon

Juice Demon is a harbinger of chaos from a dark dimension. She daylights as a student in the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College. She is an enthusiast of carefully curated horror movie marathons, bonfire cracklings, and imagining the alternate universe in which Willem Dafoe is cast as The Joker.