House on Willow Street (2016)

I just can't understand why people are rating this movie low. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Though there were some errors in special effects but, plot and story are overall great. When I started playing it, I thought it is over rated but as the time passed it grabbed my whole attention. I would love to rate it as a 7 star movie.

Fmovies: What I loved about the film is that they don't waste any time by jumping right into the action. It is really truly freaky in the beginning as we learn there is something sinister going on. Sadly, though, after a promising start, the film dwindles to loads and loads of credibility issues and 'been there done that' territory. They are trying just too hard to give every character a back story, as the demon feeds on their darkest secrets and fears. The reveal through the kidnapped girl's video diary is not believable at all and rather silly, actually. The way the gang immediately finds what is relevant to the story is just not credible. The film completely looses momentum towards the end as suspense makes way for reveal upon reveal. Some good visuals, though, and I did enjoy the satisfying ending.

The "criminals who become victims" concept has always been popular in horror cinema (Don't Breathe is a recent example I liked), and that might be because it adds an unexpected moral ambiguity which questions our perception regarding "good" and "evil" ones. And, on a more visceral sense, it creates an "instantaneous karma" sensation in which the criminals receive their punishment... even though we would like to see them escape sometimes). From a House on Willow Street follows that formula, but its main problem is that co-screenwriter Alaistar Orr (who is also the director), Jonathan Jordaan (sic) and Catherine Blackman reveal the kidnapped girl's secret too quickly, decreasing the tension and taking us through a prefabricated route which doesn't adequately exploit the "surprise factor". Besides, it's too obvious who the default "hero" (heroine, in this case) will be from the beginning; fortunately, that character is played by Sharni Vinson, whose work in horror cinema during the last 5 years (Bait, You're Next and Patrick: Evil Awakens) has made her become a versatile "scream queen" with an adequate emotional deepness. Vinson's scenic presence and credible reactions keep us moderately entertained despite the questionable narrative decisions and weak coincidences in which her character is involved. I will probably end up forgetting From a House on Willow Street as soon as I finish writing this review, but it didn't bore me, and I can give it a slight recommendation, mainly due to the gore and the presence of an actress whose affinity for the horror genre can rescue mediocre movies, such as... this one. We are still on time to redeem the "scream queen" term, and Vinson is one of the actresses capable of achieving it (other good alternatives: Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Anya Taylor-Joy).

House on Willow Street fmovies. 7.9 as of march 2017, make me wonder if they had automated ratings to boost the overall rating. this movie fill like made for TV and id say its a 3.8 to 5.6 rating worth. I give 1 star in hope to lower the already 1000 plus votes. Too slow in a bad way before scares happen, and some cheap scares. It had potential as a script wt some rewriting . acting so so.

I watched this film because of it's 7.9 rating.

5 minutes in I started thinking...this doesn't come across like a 7.9, ten more minutes passed - it's not a 7.9.

Clearly someone has been playing with the votes, this film is awful. The acting is terrible along with the cast, the story is sub par and the horror aspect it predictable and very much not even remotely jumpy.

Avoid this film at all cost.

You know if you are into jump scares and just love any horror movie, I guess you'll enjoy yourself. Still I'm surprised by the overall high rating. And that is not only because one of the cast members distances him- or herself from the movie, but just the pure fact that the movie is filled with clichés. So many that it kind of started hurting physically.

So while I couldn't fault the movie for any technical aspect (and I guess that's plus that I like the actors in it, despite their horrible characters made me be kind in my rating), I don't feel that way when it comes to the script. It starts off kind of good and it does sort of maintain a certain mood. But it's so crazy what the characters do ... I mean yes I realize we wouldn't have certain movies, if characters behaved as if they actually had a brain, but still this stretches anything you'll be able to stomach. I'd even say I like the ending in a weird way, even though it hurt too ...