The finality of death is an inherently terrifying thought, especially if there’s absolutely nothing after. The idea that we cease to exist after our short time on Earth has been a perplexing thought for ages, which is why the pursuit of the question of an afterlife remains a constant. Writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski (Super Dark Times, SiREN), and director David Bruckner (The Ritual, Southbound, V/H/S), explore the potential for an existence beyond the grave in a haunting portrait of loss and grief. What’s more, Bruckner delivers a constant level of pulse-pounding terror with one unsettling, spooky atmosphere.
The Night House opens with Beth (Rebecca Hall) entering her empty lakefront home after accepting condolences from an unnamed friend. She’s just come from the funeral of her husband, Owen (Evan Jonigkeit). Still reeling from his unexpected death, Beth struggles to live alone in the home he built for them. Almost immediately, she’s plagued by strange dreams, and haunted by a ghostly presence that beckons to her. While her friends are deeply concerned, Beth ignores them and begins searching through Owen’s belongings, discovering dark secrets that indicate she might not have known her husband as well as she thought.
Rebecca Hall and Sarah Goldberg appear in The Night House by David Bruckner.
Bruckner wastes no time getting straight to the unrelenting terror. We’re given just enough time to understand Beth’s loss before she drinks herself to sleep, and the terror begins. Creepy footsteps creaking on the stairs, loud pounding on the doors, high decibel radios with a mind of their own, and otherworldly whispers. As soon as the day breaks, Beth awakes unsure of whether her nightly experiences were lucid nightmares or something more. While it sounds like standard haunted house fare, Bruckner makes it feel fresh and wholly terrifying.
That’s before he delivers an impressive string of jump scares. He wasn’t content to deliver one well-done scare; Bruckner delivers back-to-back scares within a single sequence. This sequence, organically and masterfully handled, leaves you breathless and your heart pumping hard. The sequence alone would make the film worth the watch for the horror fan.
The minds behind this film aren’t interested in making a standard haunted house flick, either. The more Beth uncovers, in her attempts to solve the mystery of who Owen was and why he died, unique mythology begins to unfold; the precise type of which veers it away from the typical ghostly fare.
It’s the pivotal choice that Beth makes, which in turn heralds in the final act, that takes The Night House from a near-perfect film to a pretty great one. It’s at this point that the answers start flowing and the mythology becomes muddled. It doesn’t entirely break its rules, as they weren’t established in the first place, but it doesn’t hold up under scrutiny either. The final parting moments are appropriate in tone, but illogical when in context of the finale’s reveals.
Even still, The Night House is a standout film, one that easily could’ve been just another ghost story about loss. It’s moody and atmospheric, but above all, it’s scary as hell. Though the ending may be a significant sticking point for some, for many, it’ll be a minor blip in an otherwise stellar and frightening piece of filmmaking. Bruckner continues to demonstrate an insanely powerful grasp of delivering potent chills. First and foremost, though, Rebecca Hall shines. In a film that’s very nearly a one-woman show, her layered performance of a grief-stricken widow is perfection.
If you’re in the mood for scares, and a fantastic lead to boot, The Night House demands a visit.
Disney’s Searchlight will release The Night House in theaters on Friday, August 20.
Editor’s Note: This Sundance review was originally published on January 28, 2020.
