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John’s Horror Corner: House Hunting (2013)

April 15, 2013

MY CALL:  All sorts of weird surround this pleasantly surprising hidden gem of a surreal cabin movie.  IF YOU LIKE THIS WATCHThe Cabin in the Woods (2012), The Farmhouse (2008).

Charlie (Marc Singer; The Beastmaster, Beastmaster 2), Don (Art LaFleur; The Rig, Hostage) and their families (wives and two teenagers) both happen to be house hunting when their paths cross as they come upon a lonely house in the woods.  Both men find the lonely house in the pristine land appealing, but the mood immediately changes when they stumble across a strange, battered, terrified young lady (Rebekah Kennedy; Season of the Witch, Creature) with her tongue cut out running in the woods from something.  In an attempt to drive her to a hospital they find that the road continues to somehow return them to the house.  Again and again they drive away from the house only to be returned by some supernatural force.

Forced to stay in the house overnight, their sanity is tested and they begin to lose patience with one another.  There is no electricity, it’s cold, and they find seven cans of “stew” in a cupboard–and there’s seven of them.  Weird yet?  It gets weirder.  They see a strange man walking his dog who somehow disappears in front of them before they could ask him about the house and the next morning the cupboard has been somehow restocked with seven cans of stew.  Don’s son Jason insists that the strange tongueless girl knows what’s going on or, worse, that she is behind it somehow.

Days go by, stew is restocked, and attempts to leave on foot continue to return them to the house.  Another oddity is Jason, who taunts and comes on to Charlie’s daughter and is clearly attracted to her stepmother as well.  Yet more weird, they start seeing other people that simply “aren’t there.”  This begins to steer character psychology and interactions.

As they do what they can to keep their limited sanity, passing time in the house, they learn that some of them are connected to the previous owners.  But as the days wear on, the number of stew cans restocked in the cupboard drops to six and things continue to get weirder.

This film never seems to go anywhere, yet it has no problem maintaining my interest.  This is one of those weird movies that keeps you guessing while giving you nothing.  There’s not a lot of blood, but there’s a lot to keep our attention.

Give this film a shot.  I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem.


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