Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVILMovie Reviews
Horror thriller, set in the 1980s, about a college coed who, desperate to earn some dough, accepts a babysitting job in a creepy Victorian mansion in the woods. Cast:Jocelin Donahue, Greta Gerwig, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, A.J. BowenDirector:Ti WestRelease Date:October 30, 2009DVD Release:December 8, 2009From:Magnet ReleasingRating:RLength:1 hr 35 min
The House of the Devil played in key cities to good reviews. • David Edelstein wrote in New York Magazine, "...on its own modest B-movie terms it's a dandy.... You have to be a bit indulgent to love 'The House of the Devil' as much as I do." • And Marc Mohan wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "...a clever, eerie, refreshingly irony-free homage..." More Reviews Below...
The House of the Devil Positive Reviews (18 Reviews, reviews below)
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...crisp, economical, satisfying... There's wit but never a wink in this smartly shot production, which pays homage to the 1980s without fetishizing the era."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 110 words, 10/30/09
David Germain, Associated Press: MODERATE(cg) "90 percent setup, some of it acutely observed and starkly evocative of the decade in which it's set, yet much of it as dull and forgettable as the big-hair '80s."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 10/29/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The tension builds slowly... But such unhurried build-up works to immerse and unsettle us. Once the boiling point hits, things deteriorate into a too-familiar brew."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 10/30/09
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (8 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...nifty, creepy... Ti West has come up with a period pastiche that mimics the low-res vibe and look of early-1980s horror, along with the same bad hair and clothes."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 817 words, 10/30/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...made almost by hand by Ti West... He's an admirer of classic horror films and understands that if there's anything scarier than haunted house, it's a possibly haunted house."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 546 words, 11/12/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Ti West shrewdly uses our entire sense memory of horror movie experiences to bring his seen-it-all audience to a jittery state of unnerving, shoe-dropping anticipation."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 418 words, 10/30/09
Kyle Smith, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Imitation '70s cinema is starting to get hackneyed, but the horror flick 'The House of the Devil' has a sure feel for suspense as it whips up a 'Rosemary's Baby Sitter' plot."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 177 words, 10/30/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a fine little old-school thriller, set in the 1980s and devoted, fondly, to the visual syntax and Farrah-inspired hair of the era."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 11/13/09
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Ti West's ratcheting of suspense in this alone-in-an-empty-house tale is proficient, if not psychologically piercing..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 217 words, 10/28/09
KEY CITIES (4 Reviews)
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "If there's such a thing as innocence in a horror film, 'House of the Devil,' like the films it salutes, finds it. It's smart, in its way, and it's scary to boot. What a hoot."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 490 words, 01/22/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "Ti West brings the dedicated enthusiasm of a very young Frankenstein to this project... To quote the good doctor (and also Larry Cohen): It's alive!"(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 525 words, 12/04/09
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a clever, eerie, refreshingly irony-free homage, one that writer/director/editor Ti West crafts into a near-masterpiece of old-fashioned suspense."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 195 words, 12/04/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Ti West's ratcheting of suspense in this alone-in-an-empty-house tale is proficient, if not psychologically piercing..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 217 words, 10/28/09
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Less is more, and writer/director/editor Ti West knows it -- until he forgets near the end of this babysitter-in-peril nailbiter.... the film doesn't get dark enough."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 161 words, 12/03/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...nifty, creepy... Ti West has come up with a period pastiche that mimics the low-res vibe and look of early-1980s horror, along with the same bad hair and clothes."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 817 words, 10/30/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Ti West shrewdly uses our entire sense memory of horror movie experiences to bring his seen-it-all audience to a jittery state of unnerving, shoe-dropping anticipation."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 418 words, 10/30/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: GOOD "...auds seeking a stripped-down retro spine-tingler that builds to an intense climax will appreciate what director Ti West has accomplished..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 10/09/09
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: POOR "...the perfect illustration of the banality of most scare movies, as it's a horror movie without any horror until the last reel when fake blood gets painted on actors."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 564 words, 10/26/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Ti West shrewdly uses our entire sense memory of horror movie experiences to bring his seen-it-all audience to a jittery state of unnerving, shoe-dropping anticipation."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 418 words, 10/30/09
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...nifty, creepy... Ti West has come up with a period pastiche that mimics the low-res vibe and look of early-1980s horror, along with the same bad hair and clothes."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 817 words, 10/30/09
15.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The House of the Devil's reviews are separated by an average 15.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The House of the Devil (18 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The House of the Devil's reviews cover 29.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,282 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 405 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The House of the Devil Coverage, Volume & Length (18 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 6 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The House of the Devil's reviews on average broke 6 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The House of the Devil's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The House of the Devil (18 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
