These days horror fans start foaming at the mouth at the mention of a new Ti West movie. The genre filmmaker who tells stories that are rooted in their influences, pastiching gruesome familiarity in a way that is instantly recognisable, whilst also bringing us elements that feel surprisingly fresh and modern. 

In 2022 “X”, spawned a franchise that truly made West a household name, if you're the sort of household that enjoys pornstars getting slaughtered in a witty homage to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). This phenomenon has, of course, brought attention to his earlier films, including 2009's The House of the Devil. 

There is a clear progression from The House of the Devil, with it's influences in 1970s haunting and ‘satanic panic' movies, to West's later masterpieces. Despite being made in 2009 it feels solidly rooted in the 1970s with grainy film footage, fabulous haircuts and flares everywhere. Alliteration aside, it's impossible not to be reminded of things you've seen before, forcing you to ask… are we going Rosemary's Baby or Suspiria? Of course it's really both, and many other things too. 

Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) is a college student desperate to get her own place. A kind landlord (the amazing Dee Wallace) gives her until Friday to gather the funds for the perfect apartment. Samantha is still stuck though, and desperation leads her to take a babysitting job in the middle of nowhere on the night of a lunar eclipse. Her friend Megan (Greta Gerwig) insists on driving her out there, and sticks around to ensure she's as safe as she can be before reluctantly leaving. Soon after, a young man murders Megan out of earshot of the house, and Samantha is told she is babysitting not a child as she thought, but an elderly woman. The man who greets her, Mr Ulman (Tom Noonan) is cagey, suggesting that Samatha doesn't interfere with his mother, as she is quite able and capable. This begs the question as to why she needs a babysitter in the first place, and the first seeds of distrust are planted. Samantha negotiates the fee to the amount she needs for the apartment, forcing herself to stick it out despite her misgivings.

The first hour or so is almost painfully slow, but breadcrumbs are placed to keep you wondering what is going on in that house. Conflicting stories told by Mr and Mrs Ulman (Mary Woronov) lead Samantha to question the things she finds. Before eventually leading her into the terrifying final act. 

Like so many films of this type, there is little you haven't seen before, and the pace of the first two acts is incredibly challenging. However, as Samantha gets her own breadcrumbs so do we, tiny crumbs of insight into West's future as a director and a fascinating look into how he cut his teeth on his earlier work. The House of the Devil is worth a watch for Ti West fans, and those with a love of classic horror will find plenty to to appreciate here, but it will make them work for it too. 

Special Features

• Audio commentary with Writer-Director Ti West & Actor Jocelin Donahue
• Audio commentary with Ti West, Producers Larry Fessenden & Peter Phok and Sound Designer Graham Reznick
• The Right Vibe: a new interview with Ti West
• Satanic Panic: a new interview with Jocelin Donahue
• Slowing Down is Death: a new interview with Actor AJ Bowen
• A Level of Ambition: a new interview with Peter Phok
• An Enduring Title: a new interview with Larry Fessenden
• It All Feels Appropriate: a new interview with Director of Photography Eliot Rockett
• Hiding the Seams: a new interview with Composer Jeff Grace
• Writing Through Sound: a new interview with Graham Reznick
• This Night Changes Everything: The Making of The House of the Devil
• In The House of the Devil
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailer

Limited Edition Contents

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Nick Charge
• 70-page book with new essays by Martyn Conterio, Ariel Powers-Schaub, Jerome Reuter and Julieann Stipidis plus Behind the Scenes gallery
• 6 collectors' art cards

The House of the Devil is released on Limited Edition Blu-ray from Second Sight on the 28th of April

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