The Black Room (2017) User Reviews

The Black Room: A very weird movie

[Platypuschow · 4/10 · 9 February 2019]

The Black Room is advertised as a horror comedy, sadly it's very badly lacking in one area and therefore makes for an oddly imbalanced movie.

Telling the story of a couple moving into a new house with a storied past. In the basement is a black room housing an incubus. For those aware of what an incubus is you probably won't be surprised to hear that the film is jam packed with sex and nudity from start to finish to rather gratuitous levels.

With a fantastic cast including Natasha "Species" Henstridge, Dominique Swain and horror icons Lin Shaye and Tiffany Shepis it certainly had the tools to deliver a competent movie.

Sadly this is again where I must come back to the poor blend of comedy and horror. The movie has very little comedy so when humor is attempted it feels very out of place especially considering that the rest of the film is played like a straight horror. Sure it's a tad cheesy but it's still a full on horror film so the brief moments of levity spoil it.

So what with the poor tone balance, amateurish cgi effects (They should have stuck with practical) and a bad story delivery The Black Room will likely appeal to horny teens more than horror enthusiasts.

Not irredeemable, but I'd certainly not recommend this to anyone.

The Good:

Natasha Henstridge

The addition of couple of scream queens for cameos

Solid cast

The Bad:

Really weird balance of comedy and horror

Some really pants sfx

Cheap, trashy nonsense.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 23 October 2017]

Married couple Paul and Jennifer (Lukas Hassle and Natasha Henstridge) move into their dream home blissfully unaware that there is an incubus (a horny devil in more ways than one) trapped in the basement. When Paul accidentally frees the demon, he becomes possessed by the evil creature, which proceeds to seduce and kill those who cross its path.

The Black Room begins two years earlier with Miss Black (Lin Shaye) woken in the night by the incubus, the monster somehow escaping its prison in the form of smoke (logic is not this film's strong point). While Miss Black screams at the monster, the invisible incubus enters the room where sexy granddaughter Dawn (Alex Rinehart) is sleeping, peels the duvet off her bed, removes her nightie, fondles her nipples, whips off her panties and gives her an orgasm. It's that kind of film.

Dawn is then lured into the basement, where she is groped by slimy demonic hands before being roasted by a fiery blast from the furnace. So far, so tawdry and trashy.

And so it continues, as Paul and Jennifer take ownership of the property, both keen to have sex as soon as possible in their new home, but unable to find the right time. The demon finds a way to keep them both happy, however, using its powers to satisfy Jennifer in the bath and give Paul head while he relaxes in bed.

The horror begins after Paul unwittingly releases the incubus, and becomes possessed, with several people meeting sticky fates: electrician Oscar is dragged into the 'black room', leaving behind his severed fingers; Jennifer's goth sister Karen (Augie Duke) has her mouth torn open by the rapey incubus's schlong; plumber Leo has his head crushed in a washing machine door by the undead Karen; and housewarming guests Howard (Caleb Scott) and Stacy (Dominique Swain) wind up in the basement as demon food.

Eventually, Jennifer realises the truth and attempts to rid her husband of the incubus (using a metal disc with a glowing 'eye') before the creature can be reborn, none of which makes much sense. Despite a reasonable cast (Henstridge, Swain, and Shaye are deserving of much better), the film amounts to little more than some cheap titillation, a touch of not-very-impressive gore, and lots of really bad visual effects.

3.5/10, rounded up to 4 for Henstridge making her washing machine blow up. Way to go!

Another Stinker!

[stephenw-30180 · 2/10 · 9 May 2017]

I am a huge fan of cinema and film . I enjoy a variety of Genre's and Horror is in my top three. I've seen many hundreds of Horror titles over the past 25 years and have had access to movie viewing via many resources. These resources include, owning 700+ DVD's, having every pay per view channel available as well as a fire stick which I can, essentially, view any film ever made.

I write the above caveat only to illustrate that I have sufficient film knowledge and experience to determine what makes a Film "good, bad, worth watching, totally avoiding etc). Now, on to "The Black Room".... Fellow Film Buffs, do yourself a Giant favor and steer clear of this "from the moment the score starts and screen lights up" waste of time.

In a nutshell, IMO, any Horror film that wants to be taken seriously does not use cheesy single instrument (multi instrument keyboard) effects to set the tone for a suspenseful background and score to scene elements which sound more like something a 9 yr. old banged out on his/her "music maker app" on their laptop

3 minutes into this film I sensed I was in for a bad ride, and boy was I right! You would think the seemingly never ending typecast Lin Shaye's presence would at least lend some credibility to this flick....Nope! The beautiful Natasha Henstridge and (not to be mistaken for Lukas Haas) Lukas Hassle add nothing more then eye candy to this flop.

The premise and plot are unoriginal and have been used 100's of times over. The fact that the Director uses a sexual element to drive the "scare" scenes add up to nothing more then a poor attempt at tension, without good results, and are silly. The sexual assaults throughout, driving fear, obviously two primordial instincts humans have had since the beginning of humanity sounds like a very philosophical idea, but, 1+1 don't add up to 2 in this mess.

I refuse to waste more time on going through the plot and the cheesy way it continuously fails to create any fear, tension, elevated pulse rate?, etc. I can only say, it seems Horror is the genre more films are made about year after year and its clear its increasingly harder to find a film with originality in any way shape or form. I'm not saying there are no good Horror films made anymore. I'm saying, it's tough to find a new release worth your 80-110 minutes on average. The Black room is no different. In fact, it's one of the more lower end "B" movies I've seen in a long while with a decent cast.

Horror fans all over, go get a root canal or slam your hand in a car door, it's less painful then this film.

Is What It Is

[gavin6942 · 5/10 · 6 October 2017]

A young couple (Natasha Henstridge and Lukas Hassle) moves into the house of their dreams which quickly becomes a living nightmare when they discover a dark secret awaiting them in the cellar.

This film is getting some awful reviews. And yes, indeed, it is not a great movie. But look at it for what it is. I think Rolfe Kanefsky succeeds in what he set out to do -- get together a large handful of genre stars and get them to make a somewhat scandalous horror film.

Honestly, there are far, far worse films out there, especially in the horror genre. This one at least redeems itself by having a sense of humor. And yes, it is more smutty than I typically appreciate in a film, but that is exactly what it set out to be. So I can understand mixed feelings, but the overly negative responses seem harsh.

Terrible

[pwilliams-16825 · 1/10 · 10 May 2017]

This is simply a gawd awful film. There's not a believable character to be found, let alone empathize with. Generally I'm one to watch a movie to it's end once I've started it and this one was no exception. It was a complete 94 minute waste of time. The plot is hardly original but it could have (and has been) done much, much better than it is here. I've loved the horror genre ever since watching Bela Lugosi in Dracula as a kid many many years ago. There is absolutely no horror, or even a good fright, in this flick. How it's gotten any rating on here higher than a 2 is beyond me.

Why is this getting 9a and 10s?

[barr-69434 · 1/10 · 26 August 2020]

I watched about close to an hour of this trash and just couldn't watch it any more. I heard it was so bad it's good, and I have watched a fair few of the b movies they live up to that standard sadly this one didn't. The acting was terrible I have no idea if it that was intentional or not given the talents from the cast my guess is bad direction. There was no straight forward plot to keep you intrigued , a simple plot line to follow would have made a difference, all I know is a couple bought a house without inspecting it weird things happen for no reason that's about it. I heard it was supposed to be a parody or comedic elements , there was nothing funny at all apart from the bad acting. Dont go by the 9s and 10s of this, it is so bad it is actually bad.

Trash

[mousta-56507 · 1/10 · 7 June 2017]

I have no idea why this is rated so high. I actually had to look it up here to see if it was supposed to be a horror movie or comedy. It is like some trash movie filmed in the 80s. Plenty of nudity though if you are into that sort of thing. It really reminded me of the first Hellraiser. That movie was scary when it came out but if you watch it now it's laughable. At least it had a storyline worth following.

Don't you just hate it when there is an incubus trapped in your basement?...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 12 June 2017]

"The Black Room" starts out at a very good pace and puts the audience into the action from the very beginning. Personally I do like that, especially since sitting for close to an hour whilst the movie is Building up atmosphere and setting the scene can be somewhat tedious. So being through right into the action is always a refreshing change of pace for a horror movie.

The intro sequence, I must take a moment to address that, because it was so out of place with the rest of the movie. Especially because it felt more like a 1970s psychedelic hallucinatory dream high on drugs, and topped off with some odd disco-inspired upbeat music. But about 45 minutes or so into the movie, then that intro actually makes sense.

The effects in "The Black Room" were rather impressive, and visually they were quite convincing. So the special effects and CGI effects team really did a good job in bringing the effects to life on the screen. But the scene where Paul was getting electrocuted in the basement was not the most convincing of scenes due to the questionable effects.

Personally I don't really get the whole thing with hands reaching out from the back for the characters in the movie repeatedly. It was okay the first and second time, but kind of got a bit too repetitive after that.

There is a focus on sexual tones in "The Black Room", which was done adequately enough without crossing the threshold and slipping into being sleazy. But taking into consideration that the movie does deal with a demonic incubus entity, the sexual undertones of the movie do make good enough sense.

"The Black Room" actually has some pretty good names to the cast ensemble. Sure, this is not Oscar winning material, but if you have watched horror movies before, then you should be more than familiar with the likes of Lin Shaye, Dominique Swain and Natasha Henstridge. Lin Shaye had a very small role to play in "The Black Room", which was a shame, because she usually brings a lot to a movie with her mere presence. Natasha Henstridge actually carried the movie quite well, and it was nice to see her back in the horror genre. It was also quite a hoot to see James Duval making an appearance in this movie, despite also only being in a minor role.

Once the movie takes on a possession aspect, there is also an element of comedy added to the movie, which actually sat quite well with the other aspects of the movie. Especially since the comedy was subtle and quite well used.

While this is listed as a horror movie, it is not the type of horror movie that will leave the audience trembling with dread and fear. It is an entertaining enough movie for what it was, but there are better choices if you prefer to be scared witless. "The Black Room" is, however, a rather different kind of horror movie and one that actually was entertaining enough for what it turned out to be.

slightly better than cheesy porn?

[Sherparsa · 1/10 · 24 June 2019]

So, was this a comedy movie too?

well, if it weren't for the IMDb label of "comedy" as well as the very last --and unexpected-- shot in this movie, i'd never have guessed it was a comedy too! in fact, the horror parts have been executed so cheaply with old style gore and stuff like that i wouldn't say it's a quite horror movie either!

but if you like something slightly better than cheesy porn, this movie and others like it might fit your taste ...

Male rape fantasies

[elizaco12 · 1/10 · 29 November 2019]

All this is, is a rape and sexual sadism fantasy shrouded in a "comedic" horror film. Horrible.

Lots of fun

[TdSmth5 · 9/10 · 20 February 2018]

If dry, dull, sanitized PG-13 horror is your thing then you won't like The Black Room. But if you're a fan of sexy 80s horror with violence, gore, and nudity then you'll enjoy this movie a great deal.

A couple movies into their new house which they got for a good price--not knowing the details of the history of the place. In the 60s the former owners performed a drug-induced demonic ritual gone wrong. But the evil was kept behind the walls of the black room in the basement for years. Till recently when it attacked the owner's granddaughter. And with the new meat in the house, the demons are getting antsy. It's not long before the husband's body is taken over by the demon so he can provide flesh for its evil plans in the basement.

The whole incubus/succubus storyline has been all but forgotten now that Hollywood movies pretend to be all "decent." Unfortunately. even low-budget and independent movie-makers have set it aside for some reason. Till now. Finally, with The Black Room we get a serious horror B-movie, not a C or Z movie, with some recognizable cast members, strong acting for the most part (Augie Duke impresses in her transformation from evil b$%& to evil hottie), OK effects and a good supernaturally-themed story that maintains some non-sensical elements about it. No biggie.

The Black Room is an unusual, strong, and entertaining horror movie. Can't wait for the sequel with the hot succubus.

So you have a pet Inkubus in the basement.

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 5 July 2017]

Paul (Lukas Hassle) and Jennifer (Natasha Henstridge) move into a house that has an incubus trapped in the basement, a sexual demon. Sister (Augie Duke) comes to visit, etc. etc. Tiffany Shepis, Lin Shaye, and Dominique Swain in minor roles.

The opening credits played an Emerson Lake and Palmer cover tune which got me hooked. The film was like a cross between "Evil Toons" and "Re-Animator." The production excelled when it was being funny and flopped when it took itself too seriously. A Zelda Rubinstein impersonator taking care of the issue would have been great.

Guide: F-word, sex, nudity

Not a horror movie, more of a Parody. It's corny but fun for what it is.

[subxerogravity · 4/10 · 16 August 2017]

Good intro. Starts out with enough oversexed camp that seems to favor that back in the day horror movie style. Let's me know the tone that I should expect, which I was not expecting cause I was expecting a horror movie trying to actually do horror (At least I'm hoping this movie is not trying to scare me cause it did not work).  Gives the essence that this is going to be a light horror film metaphorically poking fun of the concept of how those slasher movies of the 80s seem to be all about sexual frustration. It was arousing watching  Natasha Henstridge give us a tease as a woman who moves into a house with her husband that seems to be haunted by an incubus (AKA a male sex demon), and of course it possesses her husband than tries to bang everything in sight, except for his extremely hot wife. Give the movie credit for equality as they had scenes of erotic horror that's not focus on women. Not my cup of tea but respect for attempting the balance.

I personally don't see a horror movie here, it's mostly a parody of this, which is not to say it's bad, it's actually really great for what it is, but if you are expecting to be frighten or see some scary monsters that's not gonna happen, but the imagery is definitely really cool to see, and Henstridge is still hot.

http://cinemagardens.com

This is meant to be a comedy

[shinnstheory · 4/10 · 17 August 2017]

If you go into this movie expecting a great "horror" movie, you'll be disappointed. This is, by far, more of a comedy. Supernatural sexual romps seem to be the focal point of this movie. By no means is it a great movie, or a good one for that matter. It's not low budget. But, some will get a rise out of it.

Ghost rape

[alexavargas-99241 · 1/10 · 2 December 2019]

5 minutes into this really bad movie, they tried to make a horror/comedy flick. What a waste of time

I can't believe I actually managed to watch 45 minutes before giving up

[nitzanhavoc · 1/10 · 2 July 2018]

This is the second time in my entire life I couldn't bear to finish watching a Horror film due to it being so exquisitely bad. And I only call it "Horror" because for some incomprehensible reason The Black Room is tagged as such. I honestly don't know what to say. Imagine a Hentai Tentacle porn flick, filmed in the late 70's, stuffed with cheap eroticism, terrible low budget props and fake acting to the point of nausea. The story might have been worth something but just like most porn - the plot has no weight whatsoever. If you're looking for some retro erotica with monsters and demons - there are plenty of websites which would happily serve you. But if you're looking for a Horror film - you might as well watch Disney than waste your time on this absolute crap. The only reason I'm rating this 1 is because negative rating isn't an option.

It could have been way better

[macdeutsche · 1/10 · 16 August 2017]

It's nice to see that species female character again, and she aged very well. The idea behind this movie is sexual and horror, but I don't understand, why the sex crazed devil can sex the main characters without even showing up, but when it takes the human form, can't do anything, just because the devil took the husband body. The whole movie is just a tease up to the main female character and that's it and it's not even close to get her. Why do the couple have to get out of the house alive? Anyhow it's one of the movies that after 3-40 minutes later, you have to stop watching.

Incredibly bad, by any standards

[grantss · 1/10 · 31 January 2019]

A couple move into a new house only to discover that its is possessed by an evil spirit.

Incredibly bad, and not just by movie standards but by B-grade horror movie standards, where the bar is set extremely low.

Stupid, cliched, predictable plot, laughable developments, wooden acting, this ticks every box in the "craptacular movie" category. And no, it's not so bad, it's good. It's bad, full stop - there are no redeeming qualities.

Why Lin Shaye, why?

[humble77 · 1/10 · 29 April 2018]

Why Lin Shaye, why? Complete waste of time. This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

Raunchy and Boring!

[cb_whitewood · 1/10 · 28 April 2020]

I can handle some weird sexual antics in my horror flicks, but this was just bad. It's like watching weird porn but you know the people starring in it. What's with the fat-shaming wife, too? Besides being boring, all this movie does is irritate the audience in various ways. Weird concept? Yes. Interesting concept? Not with execution like this. The only movie I've told people to avoid at this point.

I Officially Love This Movie

[bhsfacebook · 9/10 · 8 June 2019]

Not only is it one of the better demonic horrors you'll see, but it's got an 80s feeling tongue-in-cheek (among other places) feel to it. My wife and I were, um, truly inspired by this flick. Kudos to Kanefsky for not only entertaining me but getting me laid. I can't wait to see more of his stuff.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Great fun

[the_fifth_horse · 7/10 · 11 August 2017]

Ignore the bad reviews. Or at least adjust your expectations. Alright, this isn't a serious horror film.... There are plenty of those: Insidious, The Conjuring, etc; perhaps too many. This is just silly fun, with good gore/deaths, a neat twist on the evil-in-the-basement trope (Amityville meets Alien: Resurrection), and orgasms galore. It's memorable, at least. I would like to thank the creator for brightening up my day.

i can write better scenario

[baranselbalaban · 1/10 · 15 April 2020]

They make fun of your mind. don't watch and don't waste time. very very bad a film. only children can write this scenario. the end of the movies very funny. scandal movie

8/10 for a comedy!!!

[Screaming_egg · 4/10 · 6 December 2018]

Absolutely fantastic comedy!! If you are looking for loads of laughs, light nudity & trashy scenes, the Black Room is a must see!!

It's unbelievable how people spend time & effort to film that crap! But it can be enjoyable.

A country side walk

[carlospresents · 1/10 · 7 March 2020]

Origami, dishes. Exercise, learn an instrument, paint a wall! Make some nice food. Speak to someone in real life. Clean your house, have a bath.

Just trying to think of things you can do rather than watch this awful film. Oh! Do something nice for a pensioner. I dunno, walk a dog?