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IMDbPro

The House of the Devil

  • 2009
  • R
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
49K
YOUR RATING
Jocelin Donahue in The House of the Devil (2009)
In the 1980s, college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret.
Play trailer2:13
3 Videos
93 Photos
HorrorMystery

In 1983, financially struggling college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying ... Read allIn 1983, financially struggling college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret, putting her life in mortal danger.In 1983, financially struggling college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret, putting her life in mortal danger.

  • Director
    • Ti West
  • Writer
    • Ti West
  • Stars
    • Jocelin Donahue
    • Tom Noonan
    • Mary Woronov
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    49K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ti West
    • Writer
      • Ti West
    • Stars
      • Jocelin Donahue
      • Tom Noonan
      • Mary Woronov
    • 350User reviews
    • 260Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 6 nominations

    Videos3

    The House of the Devil
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch The House of the Devil
    The House of the Devil
    Trailer 1:57
    Watch The House of the Devil
    The House of the Devil
    Featurette 3:01
    Watch The House of the Devil

    Photos93

    Jocelin Donahue in The House of the Devil (2009)
    Greta Gerwig in The House of the Devil (2009)
    Tom Noonan in The House of the Devil (2009)
    AJ Bowen in The House of the Devil (2009)
    Mary Woronov in The House of the Devil (2009)
    Jocelin Donahue in The House of the Devil (2009)
    Jocelin Donahue in The House of the Devil (2009)
    Ti West in The House of the Devil (2009)
    The House of the Devil (2009)
    The House of the Devil (2009)
    Jocelin Donahue in The House of the Devil (2009)
    Jocelin Donahue in The House of the Devil (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jocelin Donahue
    Jocelin Donahue
    • Samantha
    Tom Noonan
    Tom Noonan
    • Mr. Ulman
    Mary Woronov
    Mary Woronov
    • Mrs. Ulman
    Greta Gerwig
    Greta Gerwig
    • Megan
    AJ Bowen
    AJ Bowen
    • Victor Ulman
    Dee Wallace
    Dee Wallace
    • Landlady
    Heather Robb
    Heather Robb
    • Roommate
    Darryl Nau
    • Random Guy
    Brenda Cooney
    Brenda Cooney
    • Nurse
    Danielle Noe
    • Mother
    Mary B. McCann
    Mary B. McCann
    • Elaine Cross
    • (as Mary McCann)
    John Speredakos
    John Speredakos
    • Ted Stephen
    Lena Dunham
    Lena Dunham
    • 911 Operator
    • (voice)
    Graham Reznick
    Graham Reznick
    • Local DJ
    • (voice)
    Ti West
    Ti West
    • Favorite Teacher
    Archie Van Beuren
    • Dead Child
    Nicholas Bienstock
    • Dead Husband
    Andrea Verdura
    Andrea Verdura
    • Dead Wife
    • Director
      • Ti West
    • Writer
      • Ti West
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Shot on 16mm film (very popular in the 80s) to give it a retro stylistic look.
    • Goofs
      The rotary phone inside the house has a "516" area code, which is Nassau County, Long Island, NY. There is also an emergency sticker on the phone displaying the real life working phone number for the New Hyde Park Fire Department. New Hyde Park is a suburb on Long Island, NY. However, the film is set in a remote area on the outskirts of an upstate college town.
    • Quotes

      Samantha: This one night changes everything for me.

    • Crazy credits
      Special Thanks: Goatse & Tubgirl
    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Saw VI/Cirque du Freak/The Vampire's Assistant/Amelia (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      One Thing Leads to Another
      Performed by The Fixx

    User reviews350

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    A masterclass in the atmospheric chiller...until the resolution
    I find it impossible to give this movie less than a seven, because, even if the ending was absolutely a letdown, the first 80% of the movie was so excellently constructed that its cinematic value cannot be lessened too greatly.

    And excellent The House of the Devil is for most of its duration. Director/Writer/Editor Ti West shows a remarkable proficiency for being able to truly scare, through an excellent slow-burn build-up, allowing the atmosphere of the titular house and the anticipation for when it is inevitably released to bring a viewer to nail-biting fear, rather than simply trying to startle with constant Boo! Got'cha! "scares," or excessive gore. In the end, this method is far more effective and lasting, less artificial than the latter methods which seem to, unfortunately, be the bread and butter of modern American horror filmmakers.

    However, when the denouement rolls around, this is completely thrown out the window. Sure, the gore may look nice (and indeed it does; not top of the line, but it belies the film's budget), but it completely abandons House's almost regal sense of restraint that worked so effectively for nearly the entire length of the movie. Not to mention, the transition in styles is itself so jarring that I was pulled from the experience for nearly 10 minutes, an unfortunate occurrence when that covers almost the entire duration of the remainder. The release of the built up fear was clumsy and ineffective, and the effect of the movie after the credits rolled was erased. I wasn't left with the feeling that something could be lurking just out of sight over my shoulder that the best horror movies provide; a tension that extends beyond the movie's run-time. This problem I believe to later be solved by Ti West's later film "The Innkeepers," a picture I believe (and seemingly in the minority) to be the superior movie.

    However, despite its eventual letdown, the remainder of House of the Devil was truly a horror experience I rarely see from recent American horror films, this difference between House of the Devil and its peers thrown into sharp relief by the clearly nostalgic feel it gives off, even from the opening credits. Even the grainy camera shots add a sense of, for lack of a better word, enjoyable "retro" style, rather than becoming a detriment. And the camera work itself is also exemplary, snaking and twisting its way among the oppressive halls of the house that seems more an antique than something to be lived in.

    The House of the Devil is unquestionably a good movie. For most of the film, I was completely drawn in, waiting with a rising anticipation to see what was lurking around the corner; The House of the Devil is truly scary even with its superficial sense of the mundane. Nothing is shown, save for one particularly haunting shot of what lies behind a door that remains (at least temporarily) unopened, and it is all the better for that. But this is before (please excuse the pun) everything goes to Hell at the climax. I'd certainly recommend this film; just don't expect the release to be able to come close to matching the rising action.
    helpful•48
    17
    • tsheridan94
    • Jun 10, 2012

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    FAQ1

    • What's the song on her Walkman?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 25, 2009 (Brazil)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official soundtrack site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • House of the Devil
    • Filming locations
      • Lakeville, Connecticut, USA(The Ulman House)
    • Production companies
      • MPI Media Group
      • Constructovision
      • RingTheJing Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $900,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $101,215
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $25,195
      • Nov 1, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $101,215
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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