HOUSE OF DARKNESS *** USA 2022 Dir: Neil LaBute. 88 mins
HOUSE OF DARKNESS begins with Hap (Justin Long) dropping his mysterious date Mina (Kate Bosworth) at her castle in the country, having met her earlier that night in a bar. However, once he goes inside, he feels something is off.
This was yet another gothic vampire horror, this time with a modern twist. I had been expecting great things from an all star cast and Neil LaBute writing and directing. This certainly didn’t meet my expectations or it’s potential, but it is still an enjoyable watch for the most part.
Whilst LaBute manages to create a tense and creepy atmosphere early on, this is drowned by an overuse of dialogue. So much so that the plot became obvious early on.
It certainly was a slow burner, which I am aware was to create tension, yet some scenes and conversations dragged on for far too long.
The lighting was used to good effect alongside some great use of cinematography. They use a variety of different angles to keep this interesting. The castle dream sequence is certainly one to note as it shows just how small Hap is and how grand the castle is.
With Justin Long and Kate Bosworth in the leading roles this was, despite it’s flaws, quite enjoyable.
Review by Poppy Blundell