The Deep House: Movie Review
Hello, dear reader!
It is spooky season, right and proper! And I am so excited for it! Sweater weather, hot drinks, Halloween, and also my October writing challenge! If you haven’t been around for those, here’s the low-down: for one entire week leading up to Halloween, I write a story a day based on prompts I recieve from readers just like you! Ao make sure to watch my blog for that!
Before we dive into the review, let me remind you: pre-orders for my debut novella Sisters of the Crimson Vine, are live! Get your pre-orders on the Timber Ghost Press website now!
Now onwards! As usual, I kept my spoilery bits under the spoiler line, so avoid that area if you haven’t watched the movie yet!
Also, thank you to J.S. for recommending this movie!
The Movie
2021 supernatural horror film, The Deep House, was written and directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, and stars James Dagger and Camille Rowe.
The film centers around a young couple from New York, who are currently travelling Europe and creating spooky content for their Youtube channel. On a quest to find a sanatorium submerged in a French lake, they are disappointed to see it’s actually a popular tourist spot. Lucky for them, an old man offers to take them to a different part of the lake, which contains an old mansion.
Once there, the two dive into the lake, on a quest for watery spooks! Of course, not everything is as it seems. It is a horror movie, after all.
The Review
Right off the bat, I was a little worried about how the film would go since it seems like it would all be shaky found footage, and the characters seemed annoying. But, happily, I was proven wrong. Only some parts of the movie are food footage, the majority is traditional. The characters also grew on me, especially Camille.
The film was deliciously claustrophobic since it was filmed almost entirely underwater. I felt so tense watching it! The setting, the style of filming, it was perfect.
The tension builds straight away as their equipment malfunctions in the sunken house and they begin to discover the dark secrets within. I really got pulled into the story and the characters’ struggles. The movie made me feel breathless at times!
Also, call out to the Lovecraft themes woven throughout!
Overall, just a great haunted house film with a unique twist. If you watch it and end up feeling a little turned off by the beginning, I would definitely recommend pushing through. It’s worth it!
8/10
x PLM
SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
Okay, I absolutely loved how Lovecraftian this movie ones. The mansion being home to a family cult, flooded but not dead, the quoting of Lovecraft even, the title (perhaps? Deep house = deep ones?).
Also the ending was bleaker than I had expected. I had thought that maybe Camille would survive, especially since the old man comments on the symbol on her oxygen tank being a good omen. Surprise, surprise, it wasn’t so. Near the beginning of the movie, it shows Camille practicing holding her breath under water for the future dive. I assumed there would be a moment when Camille would have to hold her breath in a scramble for the surface and it was definitely set up that way.
Only she doesn’t make it. She dies within sight of the surface. It broke my heart! Hey, but at least she didn’t die in the house, right? I got the impression that those who died inside the house experienced a watery hell for the rest of eternity, so at least she didn’t have that.
The easter egg at the end of the credits was also a cheery on top. The fact that the old man would continue to bring sacrifices to the lake, to keep his undead family undead.
Overall, I liked the bleak ending. It was fitting for the movie.
