Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘House’ (2008)

Written by Scott Edwards 

Putting the blame on people for things that they cannot control is something that we do on a daily basis. Which is unfortunate since some things are out of our control and regardless what we do to prevent them, they can still happen. Lashing out at others is just a nasty way to handle fate, one that hopefully we as a people can get away from, but for one reason or another, having someone to blame makes us feel better and we will continue to find someone to target our frustrations upon.

Jack and Stephanie Singleton are on their way to visit a new marriage counselor when they have car problems. When two tires are blown out, Jack knows that there is no way for them to get back on the road during a heavy rainstorm and heads out to find a place to stay and call for help. Stephanie will not stay alone in the car and decides to accompany her husband and the couple ends up at an adorable Inn a couple of miles down the road. Looking for whomever runs the Inn, the couple meets two other people that have encountered the same problem.

Getting the introductions out of the way, Leslie and Randy are stranded with the same automotive issues and looking for help as well. As the two couples come to terms that they will be stranded in the old Inn for the evening, they are greeted by the owners, Betty, Stewart and their son, Pete. Pete has taken a fancy to Leslie and is not ashamed to let the entire group know so. As the group and the Inn keepers sit down to dinner, the two couples come to a conclusion that there is something strange going on with their hosts. Flashbacks of their lives come into play as Stephanie has a fear of ice stemming from how her daughter died years ago, but Betty keeps icing down her tea.

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​All of the guests of the Inn encounter the same types of inner horrors, but keep them to themselves as the night presses on. All of a sudden, when Stephanie tries to leave the Inn, she encounters a man with a shotgun standing on the doorsteps. Knowing what is in store for their guests, Betty and Stewart are ready to regulate the terms of the ‘Tin Man’ who will dictate the nightly events ahead. With the Inn on lockdown, a tin can comes down the chimney that gives the guest an option, one dead body before dawn, or everybody dies. The hosts know what needs to be done and try to take care of their guests, but when the two couples reject their fate, they try to find their own way out of the farm house and find something waiting for them that is far more dangerous than they ever could have imagined.

House focuses on two couples, Jack and Stephanie who have just lost their daughter in a skating accident, along with Leslie and Randy who are not married but seem to have something brewing in the background. Randy has been tortured with the memories of his father telling him his is not good enough to survive life… with a gun. Leslie had a father that loved her too much and only wants her to be obedient and ‘happy’. Jack and Stephanie have just lost their daughter and the blame has been put on Stephanie as she was watching Melissa during her daily skate on the lake. Being trapped in the basement of the Inn, Jack finds a stranded soul, Susan that appears to know the way out of the house and how to defeat the ‘Tin Man’ at his own game. Can the group stay together and not succumb to the rules laid out for them, or will they give the ‘Tin Man’ what he wants with one of their deaths?

One of the few novels that has come to life in its entirety. The movie House has done something that few movies based off of novels has been able to do for many years. Encompassing the main story elements along with the characters, this movie is nothing but aces in my book. Not deviating from the story and keeping with what the novel did is nothing but fantastic. With only a couple of scenes that I would have liked to see included being left out, House does something that not many movies are able to do and that is to change the story to fit what the film industry demands. Keeping the sex, drugs and unnecessary violence is what gives this story and the film its charm. Reading a novel and then seeing it come to the big screen is something that tends to give readers a grave regret, but this one does the exact opposite. Knowing the characters and the story line goes far with the faithful, but keeping the story intact is something that will keep the fans extremely happy and keep them watching. With a new favorite in my collection, Stay Scared.

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