Director: Neil LaBute
Casts: Justin Long as Hap Jackson, Kate Bosworth as Mina Murray, Gia Crovatin as Lucy, and Lucy Walters as Nora
INTRODUCTION
House of Darkness (2022) is an American Horror and Mystery film written and directed by Neil LaBute. House of Darkness is a reimaging of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This film is produced by SSS Entertainment and distributed by Saban Films. It runs for about 88 minutes and English is the only language used in the film.
SYNOPSIS
Hap promise to drop off a regular girl he met at a neighborhood pub at her house. When he arrives, he learns that she lives in a remote and ancient mansion. Not only that, but he realizes that she is more than an ordinary hook-up chick.
A BIT ABOUT HOUSE OF DARKNESS
The plot of House of Darkness begins with Hapgood driving Mina to her house in the Woods. They talked for a while in the car, ranging from casual to flirtatious.
Mina asked Hap to follow her into her house and Hap agreed. When he entered the mansion, he was taken aback by how large and costly it appeared.
Mina informed Hap that this was one of her several properties. This startled Hap, but he was happy since he had gotten a rich girl.
They spent some time drinking and talking before becoming naughty. During the process, Hap believes he sees someone near the window and pauses to find out what he saw.
Mina assures him that she was the only one in the house. This assurance makes Hap calm down a bit and they got back to business.
After a while, Hap notices Mina’s Sister Lucy stirring at them as they are in the act. Hap, who was uneasy, began asking questions again, but he was consoled.
Lucy took Hap on a tour of the estate to make him feel more at ease. They all decided to have fun after visiting the sights, that is, telling ghost stories.
Hap went first, but grudgingly because he said he didn’t know how. Lucy came up next. She related a story about three sisters and what they do to individuals.
Lucy’s story became a reality not long after.
Review on House of Darkness
I don’t have much to say about this film, but I’ll share my thoughts regardless.
Let us begin by discussing the performances of actors and actresses.
I’ll simply offer a few words regarding the performances of the two main characters in the film.
As Hap Jackson, Justin Long performed an important role. For me, he was the film’s star. He did everything required of him. The way he changed his moods and potrayed a lot of emotions, I was pleased.
Hap considers himself a “decent man,” and Long is usually pleasant in his roles, but here he gets to play the polar opposite of kind – a real jerk. He is a real jerk because, at one point when Lucy shows him around the mansion, Hap lets his stupidity out, going as far as trying to hit on Lucy once he sees her as nice and intriguing.
Mina Murray is portrayed by Kate Bosworth. She was also remarkable in her job. She portrayed Mina, a serene and mysterious lady who resided in a home in the woods. Kate’s portrayal as Long’s supporting actress was excellent.
The actors are excellent and give their roles everything they have. Long maintains his charisma and makes effective use of his impeccable comedic timing. The drama and terror are then equally well sold as the story develops. Bosworth uses affectation in her speech, yet she still expresses emotion.
The charcters maintain a fairly raw yet endearing cadence throughout the entire movie.
Kate and Long are both talented and appealing performers and actresses, so they appeal to the audience and help bring the film to life. I thought they did a good job portraying their roles.
House of Darkness has some enjoyable moments. The film was eerie and strange, as one would expect from a horror film. The tales and dialogues are equally engrossing. The conversation keeps one hooked to the screen, anticipating something horrifying or frightening to occur.
The sounds used for this film are good, the settings and the lightings are also good. I am impressed.
As I said earlier, House of Darkness has some good moments, not only that. It also has several bad moments.
Conversations are simply too long, to begin with. Although it is intriguing and captivating, it is too long. Let me give you an example: Hap and Mina’s initial chat was amusing, albeit a little strange. Even though I was still glancing at the screen, I started to lose interest as the dialogue went on for longer than five minutes.
It might have been wiser to use some of the talking time in another way. Probably the conversations wouldn’t last this long if it were a different Director.
I liked the beginning of the movie and the plot, but the ending, naaahhh.
I found the ending to be disappointing.
For me, there isn’t a single terrifying or frightful moment in the film. The film just built up tension with the storyline and shattered everything at the end. Very disappointing.
As much as I enjoyed the storyline of the film, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone because you’d most likely get disappointed but if you still insist on watching it, I would leave the name of the streaming platform below where you can watch it.
Similar genre – The Invitation
You can watch House of Darkness on Vudu
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