
Streaming platforms love horror films and series. They result in a cheap, quick pop that hocks up some buzz for the series as well as the platform. Netflix has been doing it right for a while, with Little Evil, The Babysitter, etc. The Open House is the latest addition to the horror genre from the Netflix stable.
The Open House is about a mother and son, Naomi Wallace (Piercey Dalton) and Logan Wallace, (Dylan Minnette), who are forced to relocate to a remote location after Logan’s dad, Brian (Aaron Abrams) dies in a freak accident. With almost no money to spare, they decide to shift to a big house on the mountains, owned by Naomi’s sister. Only catch, the house is on sale and there’s an Open House every few days.
What’s Wow: The Open House has that creepy crawly manner of direction that’s perfect for a psychological thriller/horror/slasher film. Dylan Minnette is now becoming associated with such projects, and he does a good job of bringing his character out.
What’s Blah? What fails this project, however, is the screenplay and the way the concept is treated. The screenplay is a mix of a found-footage horror and a slasher flick with jump scares – leaving the audience confused about what the Netflix Original really wants to be.
In fact, some of the screenplay is unintentionally hilarious. What horror director in 2018 will have a bathroom shot of a MILF? The same director who allows his female character to go down to a basement with no lights in a flimsy bath-towel, that’s Matt Angel – him of The Open House fame.
Parting Shot: An uninspiring Netflix Original
Cast:
Dylan Minnette, Piercey Dalton, Sharif Atkins, Patricia Bethune, Aaron Abrams
Director: Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote
Produced by: Dan Angel, Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote
Written by: Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote
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