The Happy House (2013)

Running Time: 120 minutes

Release Date: May 3, 2013
Review by: Stacey

 

Today was a lazy Sunday as Adam had to be in the studio all day and I was left home alone.  Obviously that meant movies and reviews!  I did one of those "blind picks" on Netflix and landed on 2013's The Happy House directed/written by D.W. Young.  It seems that The Happy House is Young's first feature length film (using his directing skills on shorts and documentaries for the most part.)  Before watching I managed to catch a glimpse of a few of the Netflix reviews and let's just say, most weren't too pleased with what they saw.

 The Happy House introduces us to a Joe (Kahn Baykal) and Wendy (Aya Cash), a bickering couple from Brooklyn on their way to a remote B&B to mend their relationship.  They end up at "The Happy House" and quickly meet the owner, Hildie (Marceline Hugot), and her son Skip who, from the get-go, seem off.  Hildie gives them pretty harsh rules to follow while they're staying at the B&B with fellow house guest and Swede, Hverven.  3 strikes of the rules and "Oh, you REALLY don't want to know."

With a weird cast of characters and a crazed killer on the loose, The Happy House presents itself as horror-comedy which can be a slippery slope for horror fans.  I feel like this movie had the right idea but wasn't executed as properly as it should have been.  A horror movie taking place at a bed and breakfast?  I mean, it's not EXACTLY a pioneering storyline for the horror world.  With such a slow first half in the movie, you're not quite sure where the plot will go until the crucial turning point that turns the movie from slow burning, (VERY) subtle "comedy" to horror/thriller with everyone fighting for their lives.

The Happy House had the potential to be a great low-budget flick, but I don't think Young fully put his directing chops to good use.  He seemed content to let the movie drift along until the tonal shift and even then it seemed the majority of the characters weren't too terribly bothered by their impending doom.  The movie as a whole is never truly scary.

I did see where the movie was trying to go with adding in several horror movie cliches as some kind of *wink wink nudge nudge* to the audience but it just didn't translate very well.  It ended up coming off a tad bit forced, especially towards the end.  That's not to say I didn't enjoy a bit of the acting, especially from Hildie herself.  Joe and Wendy, while a little bland, played off of each other well and gave off the "genuine couple vibe."

The Happy House is not to be looked at as a horror but rather a comedy in a horror setting.  D.W. Young didn't take many risks in this film but still pulled off a relatively charming film that doesn't try to cross too many, if any at all, boundaries.  It deserves at least one watch if you're free with some time to spare.

Catch it on Netflix and VOD now! 

2/5 axes to the back

The Happy House trailer:

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