House of Demons

Most of the cast is trying, especially Whitney Moore, and there are a few interesting shots here and there. Some decent lighting. The story could have made more sense and the ending could not have been completely tacked on and removed from everything that came before. That said, the editing is what kills this movie flat out. It's a completely disjointed mess that is jumping between something like ten ongoing plots at once. My friend and I gave up trying to count how many there were. He gave up on the film completely about thirty minutes in. Basically avoid this one.

I had to come and put a review on here because I really like this movie and I hope more people that will appreciate it will get to see it.

It's not the typical expected horror film, but instead uses horror elements and psychedelic sci-fi elements as a framework to delve deep into the mind. The film cuts between the present, the past, memories of the characters, and their visualizations.

My friend and I watched it and had totally different reactions. I loved it and thought it was fresh and original and entrancing. He was expecting more of a straightforward horror and thought it was confusing and basically hated it. I was able to get him to slightly come around so I'm pretty proud of that!

So, it seems to definitely be a love it or hate it movie.

Here's why I was on the "love it" side:

• It's original, which is becoming exceedingly rare, especially with dime-a-dozen horror films where everything feels like a throwback to something else. I genuinely did not know what was going to happen and was taken on a pretty intense ride. There's also a moral to the story that all comes together at the end and was uplifting.

• It's psychedelic. It's got really cool shots and intercutting, there are a lot of cool trippy colors and editing tricks that take you on a ride. I really enjoyed all of the weird and intense places the movie took me that I didn't expect.

• I understand that it's one of these super low budget indies, so I'm forgiving of imperfections. There are a times when the lighting is a little wonky or something is a bit off, and there are time jumps where one character is supposed to be young, but is still played by the same actor. Stuff like that would be unacceptable in a bigger movie, but I give these smaller movies a pass on stuff like that. Some things actually look really good for the budget and the acting is much better than a lot of horror movies.

I'd definitely recommend to watch it as it's not something you'll see anywhere else. I'd be curious to see the if the film develops a cult following because it definitely feels like that kind of vibe.

This film is an intelligible mess. Flash backs and cut aways in abundance with a Demon was just not gruesome or anything really and it was Demon and not Demons as the title suggested. The editing, Wow! it was like the rushes had been dropped on the floor and in a panic had been hurriedly put together whilst wearing oven gloves. I am sure someone smarter than me will point out what I have missed.

The premise of 'House of demons' relates that it follows "four estranged friends" as they reunite for a weekend primed to go horribly wrong. The word "estranged" is the most important one to focus on in that sentence, because the film is overwhelmed with feelings of awkwardness, disconnection, resentment, and alienation. That goes for the characters in and of themselves, their interactions with each other - and my feeling about the movie as a whole.

Of everyone in the cast, there are a few names I especially recognize. Where I've seen anyone before, I think they're fine actors; here, too, I think everyone's performances are actually quite good. The problem is that the quality of their acting seems to exceed writer-director Patrick Meaney's film-making capabilities. This is, accordingly, his first feature film - and frankly, unfortunately, it kind of shows.

There's a coherent, somewhat inventive story hidden in these 90 minutes, but it's presented very haphazardly and unconvincingly. Pervasive use of flashbacks and hard cuts to concurrent scenes make the narrative flow disjointed and sloppy. Visual effects, lighting, and editing serve the same purpose, but instead of conveying the weight and gravity of events, they make it all desperately difficult to engage with. Some individual story beats seem like they weren't fully developed on paper before being filmed, and at times the movement between points A and B seems very wishy-washy. Noteworthy, commendable themes and notions are easily subsumed by the slapdash writing, and Meaney's direction is just as unpracticed and disorganized.

I get what Meaney was going for here, and I like the concept he's playing with. I appreciate how the cast, many or most of whom plainly know each other well in real life, was clearly drawn in by such an oddball feature. They believed in the idea of 'House of demons,' and it shows. I wanted to, too. But, to echo a famous line - I feel that Meaney's reach exceeded his grasp.

On the one hand, the imagination and potential is worthy of praise, and the cast's performances just as deserving. But on the other hand, the cast is limited by shoddy writing and direction that likewise renders far too much of the film inert. 'House of demons' isn't entirely bad, and could be worthwhile if one is a particular fan of anyone involved or enjoys a cinematic challenge regardless of quality. But it's a very checkered, uneven experience, and it's hard to recommend this to any but the most persevering of viewers.

Nice try. Better luck next time.

Looks like this was shot on a low quality phone, complete with bad acting & cheesy special effects. Not even worth watching at home for free if you are bored.