Reviews

I'm not really a fan of slasher films to begin with but when it comes to independent horror filmmakers you can always see the true passion come through even on a low budget. Slasher House is no different and it's clear the director knows his slasher films and what fans of the genre want to see. I'm really surprised how much I liked this film as I was not expecting it to be as good as it is. What starts as a mystery of a girl waking up on what looks like an abandoned prison turns into an expansive mythology of horror with different types of horror movie killers all hunting the lead actress. There are knife wielding slashers, creepy clowns and crazy psychopaths all out to get here and a few good twists along the way. The action is well staged and although it looks like it was filmed on a DSLR the creative choice of lighting and editing elevates the film above its low budget roots. Im sure you can pick this film up pretty cheap now so if you see it I would really recommend buying it. The director has also made a few spin off films and it seems like all the characters have their own connected universe so it will be interesting to see where things go.

I went into this film with very high expectations, especially as it seems influenced by H.P. Lovecraft of which I am a huge fan. The BMX concept feels original and for the first 20 minutes I was very engaged in what was going on. When the leads find a guy infected with a mysterious virus I thought it was going to go into Zombie territory but I was pleasantly surprised to find a twisted Lovecraftian tale of tentacles and worms along with a mix of the occult. Ultimately the film seems to fit into the folk horror category and with the BMX and lovecraft themes in there it makes for quite a unique film. The cast do a commendable job with what is a bonkers script and there are some great horror moments in there but it kind of falls short of greatness just when you think it's getting really good. If there were more body horror in there it would have gone far to help improve things. Unfortunately the last 15 minutes didn't live up to the rest of the film but I would still say it's worth a watch for horror fans.

When I saw the DVD cover for this film I was expecting a SyFy channel level production and whilst the opening 10 mins of CGI didn't convince me otherwise I was pleasantly surprised to find a very competently put together take on Lovecraftian horror. The film is certainly low budget and as the producers on the 'Making of' DVD bonus feature state, they worked with what they had, using their own houses as location. Any of these shortcomings are overcome by the great cast, all of whom I have not seen before but did a really good job with the script. Anna Dawson is very convincing as the lead character Olive, slowly loosing her mind to the creature which seems to have some kind of psychic control over her. The characters of Ellie & Matt are also well played and the chemistry between them seems very authentic. There are also some great supporting cast members in there like Doctor Fletcher and Olive's friend Dara. All of the cast play their roles with a straight face which I think was important considering the crazy script. Where the film truly shines is in the practical creature effects which are used sparingly but build up the mystery around the creature. There is plenty of blood and guts for gore fans but it isn't extreme in anyway so fans of more psychological horror films will also be satisfied. The ending of the film takes things to completely insane levels and also surprised me considering the small scope the film had shown thus far and there is potential for a sequel there. As I said before the film is slightly let down by the opening CGI which isn't very good but I don't think it lets it down too much there. For fans of H.P. Lovecraft this is a must see.