27 March 2022

His House [Netflix]


An excellent horror-house film with a strong political voice that smartly tied in the horrifying immigrant story (war-torn Sudan refugees in this case) with the supernatural tropes of fitting in with a new community. From a narrative point of view, writer/director Remi Weekes' debut had a refreshing take on the genre which kept the film from being stale. The horror elements were used to great effect both to heightened the sense of loss and isolation but also to provide scares. Although, it did kind of wear thin towards the end, but that could also have been the point. That said, the final climax would have made Guillermo del Toro proud. 

However, the strongest factors in Weekes' film were its lead actors. Both Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu were phenomenal and really translated the immigrants' journey into a beautiful, visceral and heartwrenching story. Especially Mosaku, her third act was a powerful showcase in balancing nuance and excess. The emotional weight of her story was palpable and believable. No wonder she was nominated for a BAFTA Best Actress for this film. 

Dirisu was also no slob. He may have gotten the showier role (in a horror film) but he still imbued his character with a complexity not often seen in the genre. There was a heaviness within him as he wrestled with his past and guilt.

The epilogue was a nice touch if a bit clunky, re-enforcing Weekes' thesis that assimilation into a different (read: white) society can be tougher than facing than the horrors within your own house.

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