‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’ Recap: ‘Houses of Hell’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two premiere of ‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’.
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It has often been said, that home is where the heart is, and there is good reason as to why this particular phrase is a common part of our vernacular. Simply because we truly believe the homestead to be a safe and wonderful place. One where we can relax and spend time with the people that mean the absolute world to us and for the most part, that is exactly what a home stands for and provides. But sadly, as is often the case in life; sometimes a home is used for far more nefarious purposes. The kind that quite frankly end up on the six o’clock news when its secrets are revealed and that’s why these more sinister homes show up in horror films often. Simply because the genre can explore every dark avenue of storytelling when it comes to what can happen within their walls and that is also why these ‘Houses of Hell’ served as the focal point for the season two premiere of Eli Roth’s History of Horror.

Because believe it or not, this type of home has quite the illustrious history within the genre and thankfully this premiere was eager to highlight some of those stories, such as the ones that serve to remind us that not everything is quite what it seems behind the façade of a cozy homestead. Which is precisely what Misery accomplished for audiences everywhere when it arrived on the scene. For Annie Wilkes’ perky demeanor and inviting home was nothing more than a grandiose lie. Since behind the inviting walls of her rustic farmhouse was pure madness and terror since she was keen on keeping Paul Sheldon captive in order to fulfill a lifelong dream of being near her favorite author and this type of story really does serve as a fine reminder to never judge anything by its appearance. Especially a house and its inhabitants, since we don’t know a thing about a person or what goes on inside their home until we get to know them. 

But while stories like that are always an intriguing treat, this episode was also keen to focus upon what truly put the ‘House of Hell’ on the map; stories about haunted houses. The kind that harbor that some kind of horrible secret or demonic evil. As was the case in The Amityville Horror and Sinister. Since both of these stories offer the two families involved, an idyllic new home that is seemingly going to provide them with shelter and joy and outright peace. Only to shatter that by revealing to them that a great evil is buried within its walls, the kind that only brings pain and fear. But while that makes for some stunning and genuinely unsettling and horrifying moments in both of these stories, what truly makes them worth the audience’s while is the sheer fact that they both offer a deeper meaning. In that, sometimes the real monster in our households is a family member, since there is some underlying satire present in these tales in regard to bad fathers. 

Which is a concept that the most shocking movies from this genre decided to expand upon. Because that concept speaks to the fact that the greatest evil of all is mankind and making that the focus of House of a 1000 Corpses and The Last House on the Left is what allowed for these two films to become quite the visceral experience, for different reasons of course. For this notion more or less made Corpses an emotional rollercoaster ride. One that kept assaulting your senses as the story continued along since you were constantly exposed to the outright cruelty of the Firefly family and oddly enough, the wild finale of that film is the only levity and release that you receive when watching it. Whereas Last House embraced this concept to the fullest, providing us with a horrific motion picture that exposes the darkest aspects of our soul for the entirety of its run time, leaving the viewer in a dark place and in need of a hug once the credits begin to roll. 

In the end however, what this particular episode really does for the audience and new fans of horror, is showcase how versatile the evil house sub-genre of horror truly is. Because really, a house can be anything a creative mind or the viewer wants it to be. And that in turn allows for some dynamic storytelling to take place, since you haven’t a clue as to whether or not you’re about to step into a story that reflects the horrors of the real world, or if this particularly lovely home is going to try and eat the poor souls that just bought it and that makes these movies a genuine treat. Because they always seem to find a way to outright surprise you and this is likely a sub-genre that is only going to grow and thrive as the years roll along. Simply because this particular sub-genre has yet to be properly mined from a creative perspective and who knows, perhaps future stories about homes that harbor evil will warrant a part two from this wonderful series. Until next time.   

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