So many new horror movies are out in 2022 that I don’t have time to research them beforehand (plus, I like to avoid spoilers). If I have a chance to see one, and it has actors I like, I check it out, as with “House of Darkness.” Early in my viewing, I realized it must be based on a stage play. (Surprisingly, it’s not; but it is written and directed by Neil LaBute, a playwright.)
A man and woman (Justin Long and Kate Bosworth, also co-starring in “Barbarian,” released on the same day) pull up to her out-of-time countryside manor. He has agreed to drop her off after they met at a bar. It seems they are the only two characters; her home is the only setting. They are in the “getting to know you stage,” and we are voyeurs.
Like a 2-person play
I think this is why “House of Darkness” is labeled a “comedy” (even though it isn’t). It makes us feel less gross for invading their private evening. Hap (Long) does most of the talking, but Mina (Bosworth) guides the conversation. She playfully (but rather aggressively) digs into Hap’s morals and motivations after his innocuous comments that are for the sake of avoiding silences.
“House of Darkness” (2022)
Director: Neil LaBute
Writer: Neil LaBute
Stars: Justin Long, Kate Bosworth, Gia Crovatin
It’s not a punchline-driven comedy; it’s a snapshot of the awkwardness of two people meeting each other with the mutually unspoken goal of a one-night stand. Laughter is for the sake of relieving tension. LaBute illustrates how the man might be physically stronger, but if this hook-up turns into a hooking of horns, the woman has a lot of weapons at her disposal.
Long carries the show, never making Hap likable but keeping him watchable. He’s there to see where things go with this too-good-to-be-true porcelain goddess. A viewer (putting himself in his shoes) wishes Hap came off suave rather than gawky. Yet Hap is clearly the victim (if this does turn into a clash), and this situation is so odd that while he should leave, we understand why curiosity keeps him there.
Bosworth is seemingly asked to just sit there and look pretty, but she smoothly steers the dialog and maintains Mina’s mysteriousness. LaBute never intends “House of Darkness” to have original twists. Still, it is a compelling 88-minute riff rather than an “OK, we get it already” slog.
Even though most viewers will get it already. I’ll insert a SPOILER WARNING to discuss the plot’s specifics.
Suspicious signs
Recall the first episode of “Angel” when Cordelia is verbally observing the traits of her suitor’s mansion and says “… and you’re a vampire, aren’t you?” Hap could say this to Mina at any point in “House of Darkness,” except that unlike Cordelia, he doesn’t know vampires exist.
Interestingly, light research into this film (after having watched it) shows that the vampire aspect isn’t hidden. LaBute acknowledges he’s riffing on “Dracula.” And, OK, the poster does rather clearly show vampire fangs, doesn’t it?
Some viewers will know this is a vampire story from minute one; Hap knows it only at the end. I suspected it 10 minutes in when Mina lights candles and takes forever getting the drinks; she lives at an old-fashioned slow pace.
Oddly, I don’t think a viewer’s enjoyment is dependent on being in the light or the dark about the film’s vampiric status. Either way, the film is about the dance between strangers feeling each other out, internally asking questions. “Does she really like me, or is this some kind of put-on?” “Is her weirdness innocuous, or should I get the hell out of here?”
Predators transcend gender
Thematically, “House of Darkness” is a simpler version of Eli Roth’s “Knock Knock.” Although Keanu Reeves’ character is cooler than Hap, both movies are about a solitary man trying to navigate being a gentleman with being a sexual conquistador, while also being unsure what the woman’s motivation is.
Throw a second woman into the mix (Mina’s sister, played by Gia Crovatin, pops up in a giddy surprise moment) – plus a significant amount of booze — and Hap’s mind becomes even more muddled.
Encounters with a barely known man can abruptly turn into a sexual assault for the physically weaker sex. But encounters with a barely known woman can turn bad for men too, as films like these illustrate.
With “House of Darkness,” LaBute gives us a compelling but grim message for a distrustful age. It’s a timeless message (which is why vampires serve it so well), but also a sad one, and a paranoid one.