Having read mixed reviews from screeners the past several months I had become wary about the film I had previously been anxiously awaiting. For one thing the cast was very intriguing: Tom Noonan, who was so effective as the deluded killer in 'Manhunter' and Mary Woronov who you might remember from Deathrace, Eating Raoul, or any number of wacky films from the 8o's. I was not disappointed, I assure you, they both were excellent in this film too, dripping with dread and weirdness. Another aspect which intrigued me was the premise of the film, the poster art and the title. As for the premise, lets begin,
A young college girl answers an ad for babysitting, makes a call from the phonebooth and as she hangs up it rings. For her. Already things are a bit unsettling. I did say phonebooth, because the movie is placed somewhere in the 80's, a time when 70% of Americans believed in abusive Satanic cults, we are told. Other than a couple errors in speech, the film does a good job of creating the 80's without resorting to silly clothes like from a John Hughes movie. Ti West, the director, get's points for that. We soon find out, at the house (which is very spooky looking) that she was lied to and that the very tall and very odd man (Noonan) wants her to watch his elderly mother instead of a child. He and his wife are very anxious to leave and observe the lunar eclipse which is happening in a couple of hours. We know this is important because we are told about it several times by this point. She is weirded out and wants to leave but he offers her $400 to stay and watch the old lady. By now we know that bad things are going to happen. She seems afraid of that as well and quickly gets scared...but she needs the money badly...
To say more would be a spoiler, I suppose, so I'd just say that the film builds slowly from this point to a very horrific and satisfying conclusion. I don't think anyone will be surprised by the events since they do remind one of any number of similar films. Like I said, this is a slow build up of tension and not a splatter film or torture film. It does have doses of each though. It also manages to not be silly or unbelievable. Well maybe a little if you want to a quibble. The movie isn't trying to offer explanations or versions of reality or settling the questions we all have about the occult. It's just telling a story and tells it very well. Thank the director for no shaky camera or night vision. At times I thought of' Halloween' and Laurie Strode, sometimes 'Rosemary's Baby' and even once of 'Darkness'. But I consider it a good thing that those films were brought to mind, because of their quality. For me, one of the years best that year.
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