House of Temptation

San Francisco Doctor turned Director, Hassan Zee, has diverged from his usual palette of films with his latest endeavor, the horror film 'House of Temptation', an engaging ride that simply demands audiences look deeper into the intertwining folds of its narrative.

Having cut his chops on dramatic storytelling, often inspired by his own Pakistani background, Doc Zee chose to expand his filmmaking skills in a new direction, crafting 'House of Temptation' into a film that carries the dramatic punch, but quickly delves into a tale ripe with horror. We follow the struggles of a family as seen through the eyes of Johnnie, a 15 year old aspiring filmmaker and son of Jeremiah, a beloved pastor both by his congregation and his wife, Annette. The film pulls its first trigger when Jeremiah is suddenly let go from his position, and lands its first hit when the mysterious character of Mia is introduced, who offers the family a place to stay in her late grandparents aging home during their transition from Pastor's housing. Mia begins to offer more than just her home, however, and soon becomes a respite for Jeremiah as his faith in The Lord begins to waver.

The theme of Faith, it's inherent power in tandem with the family's struggles to keep it strong, reigns throughout the film, driving the plot forward. To build this theme, the film hearkens back to tales of religion, primarily the story of Abraham and Ishmael as it's basis. All of this benefits strongly from its cast not only being top notch, each one seemingly stealing screen time from one another as the film progresses, but for debuting one of its strongest leads, the house itself. The power of faith finds it's antagonist in the framework of the house, which quickly becomes a metaphor for the evil that exists within us all, and the threats that evil can pose. It's a film viewers delight to witness the actors push their characters through the temptations the house has to offer, the danger that Mia presents, and the ultimate battle of good versus evil, finally waged not with an action set piece, but set within the minds and hearts of the film's leads.

'House of Temptation' sews in a variety of engaging plot twists and side characters into its primary yarn to keep things fresh throughout the film's runtime, which Doc Zee crafts into an incredibly potent package. His skills since his previous effort, the award winning Bicycle Bride, have evidently expanded, and his approach to the horror genre is not to be missed. Viewers are likely to come for the surface level drama, like Annette's struggle to keep her faith against Jeremiah's everyman descent from grace, but House of Temptation is truly strong with its deeper layers that evoke conversation and further thought beyond the cinema. For instance, be sure to look for clues into Mia's true nature, even after the film seemingly wraps up. In a city often known for its ripe potential as a setting for film, but not to always breed its own craftsmen, it's refreshing to know that one of San Francisco's most inspired inhabitants has taken it upon himself to be both a strong voice and a strong hand in making films that matter. If his previous films are any indication, and if House of Temptation is a sign of what's to come, San Francisco is certainly lucky to have Doc Zee.

I had the opportunity to meet the director (unknowing prior) who invited me to see the film. I through a series of conversations and sharing that horror is not really my genre of movies..was invited an opportunity to see. I found the movie to have a very heart felt piece to creating it. It felt very small scale (which is a perspective I enjoy) . The values and plot have depth in speaking about cult and supernatural and religious values and how they can shape our every day lives whether we realize or not. It had elements of suspense and references of other horror movies (found out later in Q/A and am aware horror movie buffs like that kind of aspect of homage being paid to other pieces). I will say the there was an interesting choice in character names as the family was devout Christian (though progressive) and Maya ( a Hindu reference ). I am also not easily surprised or pleasantly surprised. The way the camera was returned towards the end made me smile and left me hopeful.

Hassan Zee has a new horror film called "House of Temptation". It's a film about one man's conflict of faith and the temptations of a house of horrors. My favorite characters were the main priest, Jeremiah and Maya. I liked Jeremiah and watching him deal with his inner conflict and Maya was a delightfully wicked character. Actress Jena Hunt was recently seen in Falling Uphill (another Bay Area feature film) and it was entertaining seeing her play a completely different character. Quite a range. Without revealing too much, the film has nice twists and I liked how the main family's story was left open-ended. I prefer it when the filmmakers leave it open to the audience to decide what happens next. Overall, a nice change of pace from the usual generic slashers and found footage that makes up much of horror cinema these days.

House of Temptation is not what it at first appears. This film is actually full of fun surprises. With some particularly strong performances from Jena Hunt as Maya, and Julian Larach as Johnnie, House of Temptation takes its characters on a mysterious journey that is much more personal and poignant than one would expect from an ordinary horror flick. Director, Hassan Zee, is not one to let camp get in the way of a human story. Rather than going for cheap scares, Zee focuses on the breakdown of a family in a surprisingly intimate way through the eyes of their teenage son. I wish more big budget Hollywood films could be this personal. Looking forward to seeing what Doc Zee does next!

In House of Temptation, which was filmed in Bodega Bay in Northern California, Director Doc Zee uses the device of a teenager filming his family with his new video camera to bring the audience into the story and it the audience connected and engaged throughout.

The actors are given a wonderful vehicle in which to shine. Newcomer Julian Larach, who plays Johnnie, is a natural and the camera loves him. He is real find. Totally natural, totally relaxed, and totally believable.

Jena Hunt as the sexy lead is a gorgeous and talented actress. I look forward to seeing more of her work.

The suspense builds gradually and is sustained. One of the ghosts is a young boy who is clothed only in his underwear. It is odd, unseemly, and the result is that the audience starts to get very uncomfortable but doesn't really know why. And the action builds from there.