The House of the Devil (2009)

The House of the Devil (2009)

Desperate to move out of her terrible apartment, a college student takes a babysitting job where there’s no baby, just an elderly woman who shouldn’t be disturbed. Jocelyn Donahue’s character misses that red flag and many, many more as Ti West’s subtle thriller comes to a slow boil, while the audience anticipates terror and our self-absorbed protagonist doesn’t know well enough not to.
It probably shouldn’t work, but Ti West’s deft storytelling and alluring cast — including Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov, who make their unusual request seem unusually reasonable — make this striking period piece into a gripping mood piece. It’s all build up, and it’s building to something, and it’s going to be SCARY.

Shot on 16mm film, to capture the early 1980s filmmaking aesthetic.

Released on VHS in an old-fashioned “clamshell” box, another 1980s throwback.

Cult actress Mary Woronov came out of retirement to co-star.