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House of Spoils (2024) – A Haunted Kitchen Serves Up More Than Just Scares

04 Friday Oct 2024

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Blumhouse has long been synonymous with delivering low-budget horror with a sharp edge, but in recent years, their output has felt a bit predictable, leaving some fans yearning for the earlier days of their groundbreaking horror. House of Spoils, however, offers a fresh twist on familiar supernatural elements, blending witchcraft, female empowerment, and the culinary world in a tale that simmers with intrigue, even if it doesn’t fully deliver the knockout punch expected from the studio.

Written and directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, House of Spoils stars the ever-charismatic Ariana DeBose as Elena, an ambitious chef trying to launch her first restaurant in a remote estate. What should be a dream come true quickly spirals into a nightmare as Elena battles not only the pressures of running a kitchen and a shady investor (Arian Moayed) but also the spirit of the estate’s previous owner. This vengeful ghost seems hellbent on sabotaging her every move, lurking in the shadows and slowly unraveling Elena’s sanity.

The film plays out in an almost fable-like way, weaving in themes of witchcraft and earth magic, particularly in how Elena connects to the land she’s building her restaurant on. The kitchen, in this context, becomes more than a place of creativity and chaos—it’s a battleground, not just for Elena’s culinary dreams, but for her very soul. As she fends off both supernatural and real-world threats, the movie delves into the struggles of female empowerment in a male-dominated industry. It’s here that House of Spoils finds some of its most interesting material, reflecting on how women are forced to navigate a world of doubt, both external and internal, while being undermined by those around them.

Ariana DeBose shines as the determined chef, capturing Elena’s strength and vulnerability with nuance, though the script sometimes doesn’t give her enough to fully flesh out the character. Barbie Ferreira plays the role of Elena’s skeptical sous-chef, bringing a grounded, sardonic energy to the film, while Arian Moayed as the investor adds a layer of sleazy opportunism that heightens the tension.

Where House of Spoils really excels is in its atmosphere. The remote, crumbling estate is the perfect setting for a horror film, its dilapidated beauty mirroring the decaying hopes of its protagonist. There’s a distinct connection to the earth and natural elements throughout the film, almost as though the land itself is alive—and hostile. The ghostly presence of the previous owner feels intertwined with these elements, adding a layer of witchy folklore that sets the film apart from typical haunted house fare.

The culinary angle also brings a unique flavor to the film (pun intended). The stress and artistry of the kitchen mirror the growing supernatural threat, with moments of tension rising to a boil as Elena tries to hold her life and restaurant together. The culinary scenes are visually engaging and offer a fresh take on the typical horror setup, though at times they can feel somewhat underutilized in terms of narrative depth.

Despite these strong elements, House of Spoils isn’t without its shortcomings. While it explores rich themes of female resilience and empowerment, the pacing occasionally drags, and the scares feel too restrained for a Blumhouse production. The spirit haunting the restaurant never quite reaches its full terrifying potential, leaving the horror feeling a bit more muted than it should. Fans of Blumhouse’s more visceral scares might find the subtlety here frustrating, but those who appreciate a slow-burn, atmospheric approach will find much to enjoy.

At its heart, House of Spoils is a meditation on ambition, doubt, and the costs of chasing your dreams in the face of adversity. Its exploration of witchcraft and earth magic ties beautifully into its themes of resilience and nature’s power, and while it may not be a Blumhouse classic, it stands as a solid, enjoyable entry into the supernatural horror genre. There’s enough intrigue, originality, and thematic richness here to make it worth a watch, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights it aspires to.

The Prognosis:

House of Spoils might not be a return to form for Blumhouse, but it’s a welcome detour into a world of supernatural folklore, female empowerment, and kitchen chaos. With strong performances from Ariana DeBose and an intriguing setting, it serves up a satisfying, if not entirely groundbreaking, horror tale.

  • Saul Muerte

House of Spoils will stream on Amazon Prime from Oct 4th.

Sayara (2024) – A Savage, Viscera-Drenched Odyssey of Vengeance and Retribution

21 Saturday Sep 2024

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Sayara, the latest offering from Turkish director Can Evrenol, departs from the supernatural horrors of his previous works (Baskin, Housewife) and ventures into a brutal, grounded tale of revenge. With Sayara, Evrenol has crafted an ultraviolent, nihilistic thriller that recalls the raw, unflinching energy of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Pusher trilogy. The film is a relentless journey into the darker corners of humanity, where justice, once forsaken by law, is taken into savage hands.

At the heart of this blood-soaked tale is the protagonist, Saýara (played with terrifying intensity by Duygu Kocabiyik), whose quiet, janitorial existence is upended by the horrific murder of her sister at the hands of her gym’s corrupt, politically connected owner. As the system fails to bring justice, Saýara finds herself not just seeking vengeance but embodying it—using her after-hours training and the skills passed down by her Soviet Sambo champion father to execute a grim, calculated form of retribution.

The film is anchored by the core theme of savage revenge, and Evrenol wastes no time illustrating the violence and systemic exploitation of women and marginalised cultures. The character of Saýara, subjected to the constant oppression of her environment, becomes a symbolic force for those left voiceless. The gym owner and his cronies, who initially represent untouchable power, soon find themselves facing a brutal reckoning. Saýara is not just fighting back—she’s tearing down the structures that have upheld their dominance.

One of the film’s standout features is the use of sound, particularly the deep, resonant bass that seems to vibrate through the film like a heartbeat. Evrenol masterfully uses sound to dial up tension, drawing the viewer deeper into the depravity and violence that envelops the characters. The slow escalation of this auditory experience mirrors the pacing of the narrative itself—gradually building to a climax that is both gruesome and inevitable. As Saýara’s quest for revenge unfolds, the audience is pulled into her world, where every action reverberates with weight and consequence.

The film is unapologetically violent, but there’s a purpose behind every blow, every drop of blood. Evrenol doesn’t shy away from depicting the true cost of vengeance, and Sayara becomes a brutal commentary on the destruction wrought by unchecked power. The violence is not just physical but psychological, each fight stripping away more of Saýara’s humanity, leaving behind only a raw, visceral need for retribution. The path she walks is one from which there is no return, leading her straight into the fiery depths of her own personal hell. Once she steps onto this road, all exits disappear, leaving her with only one inevitable destination: a violent confrontation where there are no survivors—only victors and the damned.

The final showdown is a slow, excruciating crescendo, where Saýara confronts her enemies with the full force of her rage and skill. The choreography of these scenes is vicious, each movement designed for maximum impact, both physically and emotionally. The face-off feels like the culmination of not just Saýara’s journey, but the audience’s as well, watching as she becomes the embodiment of cold, calculated vengeance. The film’s climax is as gruesome as it is cathartic, a visceral explosion of blood and fury that leaves the viewer stunned in its wake.

Sayara is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who can stomach its brutal nature, it offers a haunting, powerful experience. Duygu Kocabiyik delivers a standout performance, turning Saýara into one of the most compelling anti-heroines in recent memory. With the substance of Evrenol’s past work absent, he instead crafts a stark, unrelenting atmosphere, with themes of retribution, justice, and the inescapable hell that vengeance brings.

The Prognosis:

In Sayara, there is no sanctuary—only fire, blood, and the cold, unflinching march toward retribution. This is a revenge film that takes no prisoners, delivering a punch that lingers long after the credits roll.

  • Saul Muerte

Sayara is screening as part of the Dark Nights Film Festival, Sat 12 Oct at 9pm (Ritz Cinema – Randwick)

Movie review: God Is A Bullet (2024)

06 Wednesday Mar 2024

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God is a Bullet is a hard edged, pot boiler of a movie that requires a steady hand and a strong focus to ride the weighty story.

Based on a novel by Boston Teran, it details the pursuit of Lena who is kidnapped following the brutal murders of her mother and stepfather by members of an evil cult. Leading the investigation (albeit off the books) is the girl’s father, Detective Bob Hightower (Nicolaj Coster-Waldau – Game of Thrones), a devoted Christian man who has lived most of his career behind the desk, pushing papers. So, he’s the last person you would expect to go off the rails and take the law into his own hands, but when push comes to shove, desperate times bring out the darkest side in us all.

To channel his rage and fuel his intent for revenge. Bob seeks the support from the only known person to have survived and escaped the cult, Case (Maika Monroe – It Follows). Case is not surprisingly still unfolding from her own traumatic experiences and has hardened against the typical social means, making her unpredictable and wild; the  polar opposite ro Bob, a man set by rigidity and routine. Both must find a common path for this unlikely alliance to succeed.

The prognosis:

There are elongated moments of stagnation that threaten to swallow up the audience with the sheer depth of depravity, speared by Director Nick Cassavettes vision. This passion project which has taken Cassavettes years to manifest and bring to life, is so entrenched in the social biome that he neglects the strength of pace to the detriment of the storyline, before hitting with a gut punch action sequence to remind you that you need to pay attention. What keeps you temporarily hanging by a thread is the performances of the two leads, both characters embittered by circumstances and reliant on each other’s qualities to drift them to a brutal and high impact conclusion.

Some may be deterred by the creative choices on show. Others happy to coast along, bracing themselves for every bump and hard-hitting shift in momentum. The question will be whether to bail or hold on tightly.

– Saul Muerte