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adcalvetti
Reviews
Vacant House (2016)
Carefully crafted drama
It's a bummer this is being branded as a horror flick...there's actually a lot more happening here than the cheap scares and gore you'd expect from the cover.
There are thrilling moments for sure, but I was mostly struck by the film's restraint. There are lots of opportunities for jump scares and supernatural moments, but that stuff is low-hanging fruit for a film in this budget bracket. I think that by choosing not to go there, the filmmakers achieved a tone that sets the film apart from others in its class. It's conscious of the tropes of a micro budget thriller, maybe even flirts with them ironically, but the focus stays locked on the drama. I think the audience still experiences the tension of those tropes through imagination, but they don't distract from the story. If anything, I think they're sort of unspoken catalysts.
Ultimately, this is a film about character and transformation, and it's inspirational to see extremely limited resources in the hands of a filmmaker with a good story to tell. Gore, ghosts, and hills with eyes are a dime a dozen, but the well told story will always be king.