Evil Sublet

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It has some great lines, the acting is pretty good and it doesn't take itself seriously. There's a few decent jump scares in there too, as well as some satirical commentary on the property rental market and consumerism. I did wonder what I was getting into, as there is some nudity in the opening scene, but it doesn't last long and doesn't persist throughout the film.

Evil Sublet was obviously shot on a very tight budget but the makers seem to have got the most out of it. Still trying to work out what the real supernatural occurrences were that are claimed to be spliced into the film!

Looking for a new apartment, a couple takes up residence in a cheap apartment rumored to be haunted which proves to be true when they start to encounter a slew of paranormal activity that drives them toward a special investigator to look into what's going on in their house.

This was a rather solid genre outing that has a lot going for it. Most of the film's points are centered around its comedy, where the idea of this one utilizing just about everything as a comedic joke offers a lot to like. The central silliness of the situation, where everyone is completely aware of the haunted nature of what's going on but leaving everything to chance just because of the situation they find themselves in, manages to be such a fun recurring joke that it drives much of the humor here. Knowingly moving in and not bothering to deal with the haunted nature of the apartment because of the cheap rent and prominent spot it's located in makes a lot of the situation gags and general awkwardness of everything feel far funnier than necessary, with some of this all brought about attempted hauntings such as running objects that shouldn't be operating, hallucinations of figures not there, or noticing odd happenings but brushing it all off for the sake of staying in the apartment they have for cheap. While this gives the film a great sense of fun, it does so at the expense of downgrading the horror into a near-nonexistent glaze that might be the entire point of the experience but still doesn't help enhance that at all. Far too much of the supposed hauntings are played off for laughs with the whole thing being presented as such an absurd inconvenience that doing anything about it isn't a bother and it's far more fruitful to remain where they are to just deal with it even if it brings about professional ruin or obscene distress to themselves. That it does such a fine job of convincing that it's haunted with genuinely intriguing and chilling ideas that it could've been fine as a straightforward genre feature with just a few touches of comedy to help things along with the whole idea of this one trimmed down just a touch as it's a bit too long for its own good with this type of setup. These all manage to hold this one back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Nudity, and Violence.

A balls-out hilarious nightmare comedy about the devil's bargain that is finding an affordable Manhattan apartment. A loving tribute to New York's grittiness and New Yorkers' grit, it's got a lived-in DIY aesthetic, excellent scares, some squirm-inducing special effects, a high gut-laughs-per-minute ratio, queer representation galore, and even some genuine feeling along the way. Jennifer Leigh Houston is magnificent as the tough and terrorized heroine, Pat Dwyer and Stephen Mosher shine as a couple of Coney Island gay paranormal investigators, and when Sally Struthers shows up...she shows it's no accident that she's been out here killing it for all these decades.

If you are a horror-comedy fan and this screens near you, don't miss it.

It's such a refreshing moment when you sit down to watch a movie and realize it's not trying to be more than it has to be. 'eVil Sublet' is such a movie. To watch a movie that knows its own identity is a gale force of fresh air in today's overly saturated movie market, independent or not. It's Piper's honesty in his script and his execution for said script paired with the inarguable adeptness of his cast that ensure you that you're in good hands from the first scene to the ending credits. There's no wasted time by the audience trying to decipher how best to enjoy this film. 'eVil Sublet' excels in being a thrilling horror-comedy. The jokes are smart, the writing is clever, the acting is just campy enough to please even the staunchest of critics (or it should be) and it's all bundled up in a package of sincerity and love for it's most unspoken character: the East Village.

Just do yourself a favor and watch it for yourself.

Reading the reviews, I believe most were asked to write a friendly review. I have seen high school film projects that put this to shame. A couple finds a cheap apartment but it's haunted. Sounds like a third rate bungalow comic's joke at Estelle's Bungalows in Fallsburg on Saturday night. Rim shot please. The movie is a disaster. Don't waste your $4.99.

The character development and the story lack talent. The acting is poorly directed. Let Sally go back to over acting in feed the starving children gigs.

The writer/director blames COVID for production difficulties, it would have been merciful to let this project go.