A House on the Bayou

A very nicely crafted and conceptually intriguing home invasion horror thriller that tries to bring something a little bit new to an already stale subgenre. At the same time, I think it is too literal – it would have been more impressive if the mystery was only hinted at. And the characters didn't seem like living people, more like figures who behave the way the screenwriter needs them to. Within this year's competition, however, it's definitely a bit above average. (11/20/2021)

This house is definitely not on the feft! The days of home invasions with an exploitative edge are definitely over. Rape, revenge and gore are not modern anymore, they have been replaced by boring dialogues and substituted for drama which doesn't work because there is a lack of well written characters. One pretty woman, one gore scene and a rather interesting twist, that's woefully short even by my standards. Most of the time nothing much interesting or exciting happens here, the home invasion terror element is missing, there’s no proper Inferno, no savagery, no screaming takes. The makers are stingy with the blood, the film shot in a plain way, without any camera flourishes. The ambition to shock is missing and the purpose to entertain is definitely not there either. It didn't impress me, it didn't entertain me, it annoyed me. Story 3/5, Action 2/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 2/5, Fun 2/5 Music 2/5, Visuals 3/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 2/5, Actors 3/5. 4.5/10. (11/28/2021)