Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘The Beach House’. Mankind tends to believe that it is the true master of planet Earth and there is good reason as to why we think that. After all, we are the dominant species on this world thanks to our incredible numbers and our intelligence. The latter of which has allowed for us to come together in giant cities and create vast farmlands that allow for us to eat without having to hunt and for that matter, our technology has allowed for dominance to grow as well. For our kind can in fact, combat medical issues that should end our lives and we’ve even started to venture out into the void beyond our world simply because we have the knowledge to do so. But while it is lovely and comforting to know that we have no natural predators and can live in relative comfort, the fact of the matter is, our view is slightly arrogant and completely wrong. For we are part of a vast and incredible ecosystem, and we are mere tenants on this world and the true master of this planet… is Earth itself. Because it harbors some powerful weapons, the kind that can immediately bring mankind to its knees, and for proof… well then look no further than the natural disasters that occur on a yearly basis. The kind that level towns, or in the case of the nightmare that is 2020… the planet can unleash an epidemic that quite literally forces us to take shelter in our advanced and comfortable huts. If anything, when this lesson arrives, it tends to be humbling and it does motivate discussion about how we need to be better tenants and one fine way to explore the majesty of nature’s power and strength and how we should respect it, is through popular media. Since it allows for a safe space to examine just how powerful our landlord truly is, and it just so happens that Shudder harbors an original film that explores this topic in a powerful and horrifying manner in The Beach House. Now in this particular motion picture, we are introduced to a couple named Emily and Randall, and when we catch up with them here, their relationship is in crisis. Because Randall is struggling with some personal issues right now and he’s hurt Emily in his quest to figure out the right path forward, and in order to try and set things right… he’s offered to bring Emily up to his father’s beach house for the weekend. All so they can properly rekindle their love affair and figure out what comes next as a couple. But there is a slight complication in making that happen, in that, Randall’s dad has let some old friends named Mitch and Jane make use of the house as well, forcing Randall’s romantic plans to take a bit of a backseat while he and Emily make nice with Mitch and Jane. But while it is nice that these newfound friends get along so well, the good times simply cannot last. For some strange occurrences on the water and in the air are going to make this cozy weekend quite the nightmare, since nature has come to reclaim the beach from humanity in the most terrifying way imaginable. So, what is truly fascinating about this particular horror film, is how well it manages to manipulate the audience. Because early on, this feels akin to a low budget feature, one that uses exposition to fill time before the carnage comes into play. But once the microbe fog and migration and outright horror arrives, this movie becomes so much more. Because just like that, it suddenly has plenty to say about our role in the world and how we are in fact, mere tenants here that are not invincible in the slightest, and with the right surprise from mother nature… our dominance of this world can quickly come to an end. And that allows for quite the cerebral story to play out, one full of commentary on climate change and our role in its arrival, alongside some surprising observations on how we collectively forget to seize the moment or go for what we want sometimes… simply because we believe we have all the time in the world. But while the commentary in this motion picture is indeed quite thought-provoking and fascinating in its own right, make no mistake about it… this is a horror film, through and through. One that features a fair chunk of homages to George A. Romero’s work, and that’s not a bad thing by any means. Because the same confusion that is present in Night of the Living Dead is present here since we haven’t a clue what the heck is going on, and in a way, this movie features a more classical zombie. Since those who are infected by the microbe spores are under their influence and will do horrible things to propagate the species. But it is the apocalyptic feel of this movie that truly allows for it to shine. For you genuinely feel as though you are watching the end of everything unfold before your eyes and that definitely allows for the story to venture into some supremely bleak territory when all is said and done. If anything, it’s just best to declare this movie as downright brilliant. Simply because this movie really does do a phenomenal job of terrifying the audience in a minimalist manner. Granted, there are some brief moments of gore and some quality gross out sequences as well, but for the most part, the real threat of this film remains unseen for a vast majority of the movie’s brisk eighty-seven-minute run time and its wonder doesn’t end with the scares and the quality storytelling. For there are also a bevy of quality performances to be found in this movie as well. For Liana Liberato steals the show as Emily, since she provides the audience with an honest and earnest performance, the kind that sells the terror surrounding her character. And screen veteran Jake Weber also does a phenomenal job here of helping the story transition into the terror, since his genuine performance helps the audience to let their guard down and put it right back up; courtesy of the surprise that his character’s story arc offers us. In the end however, all of these elements make this movie an absolute must-see. Simply because it is a quality horror feature, one that does a phenomenal job of preying upon one of our most primal fears… the unknown. ‘The Beach House’ is streaming now, exclusively on Shudder.
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