House of Spoils

I was looking for a horror movie to stream, and settled on this without high expectations. Then I was pleasantly surprised to find I was intrigued and wanted to keep watching this under rated find. This is pretty decent story. Far better than the usual slasher with a chainsaw, or me too haunted house with footsteps upstairs and curtains blowing in the breeze. Surprisingly good acting all around, though I wasn't familiar most of the cast. DeBose did a fine job here. Very little blood, gore, or even special effects. Which says something about a story that can stand on it's own without them. Recommended, for something more chill and subtle in the horror genre.

I just watched this movie on a whim not knowing what it was about, and I enjoyed it. I liked the aesthetic a lot and while the sudden shift at the end might be a bit far fetched..well its a movie so that is part of the experience. I liked the parts with the plants and the earthiness, and just the creativity. It is refreshing to see knew ideas, especially because these days they are far and few between. I do see the issues that people may find with it, but thats people these days, they find issues with everything. This one I am recommending you give it a go and see if you find enjoyment in it like I have.

This movie was just not it for me.. Blimehouse should've left this where it was.. The story was incomplete as it jumped from one thing to the other.. The ending is where they really dropped the ball because it gave no explanations at all on the antagonist. It was just a bunch of incomplete scenes that they spliced together.. I really feel as though this could've been good given the trailer but even then it just didn't make any sense.. I don't want to give any spoilers but i was disappointed.. Acting was very mid level.. it feels like it was a rushed project that ultimately didn't add up to the synopsis..

Food movies have been all the rage the last few years. And almost all of them have been pretty good. 'House of Spoils' is sadly the first real letdown in the sub-genre that I've seen. It felt very much like a film that didn't have enough of any one thing, so tried to throw multiple things at the wall in the hope that one of them would stick.

The end result is a bit of a chaotic mess - and not a particularly interesting one either. The film is probably at its most interesting when it is just being a regular kitchen drama. But even then all the drama and obstacles feel very forced.

I had hopes that all the grind of the first hour was just setting up for a strong finish. Unfortunately the final 20-30 minutes are probably the most dull part of the film. It really does whimper home. This one wasn't for me. 4/10.

The story was fairly original, but those looking for horror will be disappointed. This is something a bit closer to Practical Magic with a dash of Like Water for Chocolate magic realism and a garnish of witchy ghost. It feels like a fairly niche film, but for those who enjoy that niche; it's a delightful little unexpurgated Grimm's fairy tale of movie.

The dialogue definitely veers into clunky here and there, but I feel like this could be a sleeper late night snack film. DeBose brings a controlled physicality to her role which helps make the silent moments shine. The characters are two dimensional in the way of a slightly expanded fairy tale: where the fairy tales use archetypes, the movie adds a touch of nuance to the characters, though they could have fleshed them out a bit more. None of the other actors really throw themselves into the slightly absurd premise the way deBose does, and without that slightly unhinged commitment, they can't paper over weaknesses in the plot or writing in the same way.

But if you want a sort of Casa-de-Espíritus-light, set in a fine dining haunted house, this could be movie for you.