PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When I first heard about the 2017 horror flick House of Salem, it sounded to me like a bunch of horror cliches thrown together to form a mishmash of storylines but no fathomable plot. Too many arcs can kill a story, horror or otherwise. I didn’t want to see this happen, but with a tale that includes kidnappers, angels, killer clowns, an autistic kid, ghosts, VHS tapes, Satan worshipers, demons and a creepy house, I was a bit cautious. Was I proven right or did House of Salem surpass my expectations?
House of Salem was directed, produced, written, filmed and edited by One Man Band James Crow (Curse of the Witching Tree 2015) in his sophomoric feature film debut. The film stars Jessica Arterton (We Still Die the Old Way 2018), Nightmare on 34th Street’s (2017) Leslie Mills and Dean Maskell, Jack Brett Anderson (Wolfblood TV series), Robert Lowe (Primeval TV series), Nalân Burgess (He WHo Dares 2014) and newcomer Liam Kelly. The score was composed by frequent James Crow collaborator Pete Coleman (Nightmare on 34th Street 2017) while the special FX were created by Charlene Hudson (The Bride 2013).
What Works
Although I was worried about the intricate plotline in House of Salem, James Crow managed to take all of those horror elements and combine them into a streamlined story that dovetailed nicely at the closing credits. I thought the main characters were fleshed out and interesting without being too weighed down. I especially loved Josh, who was played brilliantly by Liam Kelly. The idea of an autistic boy being attuned to the paranormal as a result of his heightened sensitivities is brilliant. It was also refreshing to see strong female characters, especially freethinking Nancy (Arterton) and ass kicking babysitter Tanya (Burgess). I also loved the multilayered symbolism of the sacrificial lamb that was used a few times in some interesting ways.
There were several twists in the film, and although they were a bit obvious to the horror movie veteran, I was impressed with the amount of them and what they did to progress the story along. One thing that was small but really stuck with me was the idea that something as pleasant as scented candles could combine with the acrid odor of a burning building to trigger a horrible, almost PTSD moment for young Josh. It was truly eye opening for me. Last but not least, the rhyme that the kids sang… it was stuck in my head for days.
What Didn’t Work
The story did take a bit to really get going. While the kidnapping happens in the first five minutes, the main Satanist plotline didn’t kick in until after the first hour. Although there was plenty of violence in House of Salem, there wasn’t much for onscreen gore. While I do realize that you don’t need truckloads of blood and offal to make a good horror movie, I thought that with all of the creative killing going on, showing a bit of it would have enhanced the experience. I noticed that the sound was off sometimes, but it wasn’t too often or extremely distracting. The most disappointing aspect of the film was the poor demon FX. I have no idea what the budget was for House of Salem, but they maybe should have spent a bit more of it on prosthetics that didn’t look like they were even connected to the actor’s faces. Even a few tubes of spirit gum would have improved things.
Final Thoughts
House of Salem is a multilayered, intricate film full of twists and plenty of story to follow. If you’re a fan of House of the Devil, You’re Next or Bless the Child, then you’ll love this film. It will be available through VOD on January 23rd, so check your local listings.
