When it comes to cinema, "scary" tends to be just as subjective as funny, sad, elated, or any of the other emotions movies strive to make us feel - it really does mean different things to different people. For some, a few well-timed jump scares do the trick, others are all about the gore and the kill-count.
But to truly unsettle and get under the skin to create a sense of genuine unease is a rare thing in modern horror, which is why The Night House stands apart.
The movie follows a woman named Beth (Rebecca Hall) who is mourning the sudden death of her husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit) just a few days prior. Left shell-shocked by Owen's seemingly inexplicable decision to take his own life, Beth begins to hear strange noises in the lakeside home he built for them, and becomes convinced that her husband's ghost is trying to communicate. Her friend Claire (Sarah Goldberg) and neighbour Mel (Vondie Curtis-Hall) believe her nightmarish experiences are being caused by stress, but it soon becomes clear that a supernatural presence is making contact. Is it Owen, or something far more sinister?
It's a familiar set-up, but director David Bruckner (The Signal, The Ritual) and his writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowsk have no interest in telling a simple haunted house story. While things do go bump in the night (house), the film is more concerned with exploring themes of grief, guilt, and healing.
It also happens to be bloody terrifying.
Bruckner takes a slow-burn approach, but the deliberate pace allows for maximum tension to build so that when the scares come, they are all the more effective. To quote the great Johnny Cash, the hair on your arms will stand up, and though the movie is not above a couple of jump-scares, they are incredibly well orchestrated. One, in particular, will leave your heart thumping.
Camera-trickery and sound are utilized to nerve-shredding effect, and Elisha Christian's stunning cinematography results in some haunting shots of the lake at night - although it's a no-less foreboding location when the sun is shining.
Of course, none of this would be half as impactful if we weren't with our heroine every step of the way, and Hall delivers an excellent, heart-breaking turn as Beth. The Iron Man 3 actress has always been impressive in smaller roles, but with any luck, her performance here will catapult her to much-deserved leading woman status.
As Beth gets closer to uncovering the mystery surrounding her husband's death, things do begin to veer towards more conventional territory (your heart may sink when she takes a trip to the store where Owen purchased some spooky books), but it quickly steadies the boat for a chilling climax. The ending is almost certain to be divisive, in part because we're not given any easy answers. The explanation does make sense (unless you haven't been paying attention), but there is a lot of ambiguity surrounding certain plot points, which some may feel is a bit of a cop-out.
It'll probably all depend on how you choose to interpret the events that befall Beth, but regardless, The Night House doesn't set out to hold viewers' hands - even if you'll wish someone was there to hold yours while watching it.
The Night House is a chilling, thoughtful film with a superb lead performance from Rebecca Hall. The ending may disappoint those looking for more definitive answers, but is no less powerful as a meditation on what it takes to move on and live when all you want to do is lie down and join the one you lost.