Doom House

Psychological terror has never been easy to convey on film and only a elect few actors are able to visualise this through their actions and voice-words, Richard Kyanka is one of these. A performance reminiscent of James Caan in Misery or J.T. Walsh in any of the films he done.

The other leading role is played by the equally proficient Kevin Bowen. Playing a suspicious police officer that immediately asserts himself as a character that should not be taken at face value. You will see flashes of arrogant genius as pure as any seen in Tom Berenger's Sniper trilogy.

Technically this movie isn't going to win many prizes, but the prizes it does win will probably be deserved.

This is an Indy horror flick. But don't let that scare you away! This movie definitely goes against the grain with something I like to call "Scaracters." This is an edge of your seat, jaw dropper with a twist of such caliber that hasn't been seen since 'The Sixth Sense.'There isn't gore or nudity in this film, and that's what makes it refreshingly different from your standard horror movie. It also doesn't use any of those cheap scare tactics you see in every run of the mill Ring ripoff nowadays.

When you watch this movie, you are legitimately scared. First, you are scared for the characters. Rich Kyanka is moving in this film. He can make you cry with a subtle face movement. Kevin Bowen excels in this film at well, but he is almost overshadowed by the gritty realism Kyanka brings to the table. Secondly, you are scared for yourself. The first time you see this movie, you may have to stop it to catch your breath. It's that good.

The plot twists and turns will no doubt leave you guessing the way they left me and my friends guessing, and I have faith in the fact that it will take several viewings to catch everything that brings together the "doom house" universe in ways you won't see coming.

It astonishes me how well this short film (much-anticipated in the Appleton film circuit) was able to deliver the fresh goods. "Doom House" is able to simultaneously shock the viewer with breathtaking cinematography, while at the same time forcing them into the world of Reginald (Kyanka). It is usually the case that a film's director will be caught up in creative eccentricities, and so, overplay one aspect of production, and fail to take care with another: the 'style vs. substance' effect, if you will. But this film certainly doesn't fall prey to that, as every single shot sings out the same, poignant message: and neither does its well-roundedness make it mediocre.

The only drawback is that Mr. Kyanka anticipates the sequel by putting on a performance that is reminiscent of Guy Pearce.

This film is truly a low-budget masterpiece that should have the major studios "shaking in their boots." The compelling story of a young widower and his agonizing descent into madness -- prompted by the tenacious haunting of a nefarious figurine -- is propelled along by the chilling soundtrack, breathtaking special effects, and insightfully clever dialog. Richard Kyanka shows a unique ability to multitask as writer, director, and lead actor.

A true highlight of this film, however, is the brilliant work of Kevin Bowen, portraying a police officer who befriends the protagonist, but whose motives soon come into question. Undeterred by any mere plot twist or catflap, Bowen hits every mark and delivers every line with unparalleled pathos. Moviegoers should expect future brilliance from this young and versatile actor, who also put in some work as the film's co-director.

This is not a film to be missed, and we can only hope it will represent the beginning of a new era in the world of low-budget, independent film-making.

Doom House is a chilling polemic on the governing mindset of post-9/11 America. In their film debut, Kyanka and Bowen masterfully weave coherent socio-political commentary with well-crafted horror in much the same way that Jacobs and Young mixed controversial political issues with comedy in their tragically short-lived and misunderstood television program Dinosaurs.

From the very outset it becomes obvious to the viewer that this is not going to be a standard blood & guts slasher-style horror film, no, this film bucks the stereotypes so inherent in the present-day horror genre.

These men respect their audience. These men display a willingness to provide their audience with more than merely scenes of crowd-pleasing, money-making gore. Like Vincent Price and Roger Corman before them, Kyanka and Bowen are unafraid to create a thinking-man's horror film, a film that is not only unabashedly low-budget, but a film that revels in its lack of capital and in fact is able to rise above its monetary restraints.

In spite of what many would have you believe, it is clear that there is no truly evil character in this film, there is no malice, there is only desperation. Within the constraints of a low budget and perhaps as a result of those limitations, Kyanka and Bowen craft characters with depth, with believable motivations, depicting both sides of the conflict as victims of circumstance all the while avoiding the uncomfortable territory of moral equivalence. Not since John Hughes' 1986 classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off have I found myself rooting for the villain as much as I did for Linux's opponent in Doom House.

In an era where the average moviegoer craves answers, Doom House dares to ask questions. In the war between East and West, between religion and secular society, between tradition and progress, is there such a thing as right and wrong? How should a person deal with loss, by suffering the painful familiar or by beginning life anew? Do the victims of history have a right to seek compensation from the innocents of another generation? What does it truly mean to be doomed? Unable to reach a wide audience due to the limitations of its budget, unseen and in fact unheard of by the majority of potential viewers, Doom House is nonetheless a classic piece of intelligent, finely-crafted cinema.

Doom House is not to be missed!