His House

Decided to watch this film on Halloween as pretty much watched all the classics over the October month and i found this little gem very refreshing. Netflix has been disappointing this halloween with the terrible blyth manor but they pulled it back with this one. A horror story with heart that makes you feel lucky for the life you have. It tells the story of two asylum seekers and the struggles they face to settle in a new country BUT something has come along with them!! The story flows nicely, the acting is a decent effort and there are some very good jump scares. Some of the dream scenes are beautifully shot and kind of reminded me a bit of the scenes in The Ritual. Its not all horror but that shouldn't stop you giving this one a go.

There are so many terrible films, particularly in the horror genre, on Netflix at the moment. This is not one of them. All the horrors I've watched recently are either far too dumb, or too far the other way - relying on being artsy or having powerful imagery but sacrificing a satisfying story. This one gets it just right. It is genuinely intriguing but leaves you with a resolution. There are layers of interpretation, but also a nice clear cut story.

I found for a good part of the film I thought it was just a theme of asylum seeking; a couple fleeing something bad and arriving at a not-beautiful side of Britain, with the man trying to adjust to a new culture and then woman conversely holding onto her roots, all through the narrative of an apparently haunted house. The pair being explicitly warned that they might be sent "back" if they made any trouble, or didn't integrate properly, emphasised this theme. But it turned out to be about something quite different - something I can't really say without giving away the plot substantially. It could have been based on anyone with a past, and the fact that the main characters were refugees worked well for the narrative but was not the entire theme.

It was well cast and very well acted, which is not actually all that typical in many films being streamed at the moment. Matt Smith is in it but as a side character: they don't try to force him into it beyond his welcome just to exploit the well known name; also refreshing. He is good in his part, but the two leads are allowed to shine.

I'm not much of an artistic critic but I felt they built and maintained the atmosphere brilliantly. I can't even tell you if it was visuals or score or lighting or whatever because I'm not the type of audience to dissect that - I just know it gripped me and took me with it emotionally. The tension is good and there were jump scares that work well. Personally I can't stand a film that's just reliant on jumpy moments or gore and lacks any actual substance. This, to me, gives the best of all worlds. And when it ended I felt genuinely glad I'd watched it, and watched it to the end.

Honestly this little film buried far below the (poorer quality) netflix recommendations was a very positive surprise for me and I would definitely recommend watching.

The horrors that asylum-seekers have to put themselves through when meshed with a haunted house storyline is what we get in Netflix's His House. Bol (Dirisu) and Rial (Mosaku) are refugees fleeing their war-torn country of Sudan; they brave bullets, rough waters, and even lose their daughter as they finally arrive in Britain where they're granted probational asylum. They're temporarily moved into a shabby, crumbling house in the London suburbs, and that's when the past begins to haunt them.

His House is a pretty strong directorial debut from Remi Weekes, who has also written the screenplay. It may just be a 93-minute film, however, His House manages to dive equal parts deep into the struggles of immigrants as well as survivor guilt. While Bol tries to blend in with the new surroundings (he sings football anthems at bars, changes his attire, and prefers to use tables while eating), Rial holds firmly onto their culture (she wears their daughter's necklace, dresses in vibrant colors, and sits on the floor while eating).

The scares, the greatest thing about horror films, are well-conceived. Weeks mixes jumpscares with more atmosphere-heavy ones in an effort to keep viewers on edge. Practical and visual effects are put to solid use in these sequences, though some fare better than others. A little inspiration has been drawn from films like The Conjuring and Lights Out, in a good way. Weekes, through some effective crafting that blur the lines between fantasy and reality, elevates His House beyond the conventional haunted house movie.

Not everything works though. The final act switches horror for a somewhat predictable twist, and while the closing frames make for a powerful set of metaphors, it feels slightly sketchy from a closure standpoint. The performances are good for a film that revolves mostly around two (or three, if you include the beast) characters - Dirisu and Mosaku showcasing credible, lived-in feats.

Exploring themes of grief, trauma, immigration, assimilation, remorse & acceptance through a horror lens, His House is a haunting & harrowing depiction of the refugee experience and, in addition to capturing their inward & outward struggle in adjusting to new life in new place, also delivers as a thrilling & effective haunted house chiller.

Written & directed by Remi Weekes, the film blends character drama & genre thrills into one finely layered narrative and holds nothing back when unleashing the terror that dwells within the walls of their new home. While there are times when the story becomes perplexing, everything adds up & makes sense once the full picture of the characters' backstory is revealed.

The atmosphere within the rundown residence is palpably tense & often unsettling, and though Weekes relies on jump scares to frighten the viewers, most of them do work out in the film's favour. Wunmi Mosaku & Sope Dirisu play the young refugee couple seeking asylum after escaping their war-torn homeland, and they both chip in with performances that are credible, grounded & convincing.

Overall, His House is a welcome entry in the world of horror and also marks a solid debut for Remi Weekes' directorial career. The proper care with which he sketches the characters' troubled past, vulnerable present & uncertain future, and brings it in sync with the immigrant issues gives his picture a relevant touch & relatable appeal. One of the better horror entries in Netflix canon, His House is certainly worth a shot.

It starts well, midway you think it's following a standard horror movie course, but stick with it! Very well done. Terrific ending!