Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'House of Salem'

Written by Scott Edwards

Some people like to say that everything happens for a reason and while that is an easy way to look at things, it is also a bit short sighted. Saying that a person’s pet getting run over in the street or getting fired from your job for no reason happened for a reason, most people will still wait to find out what that reason really is. We all have our own choices to make in this life and while some of them could drastically change the direction our lives will go, they happen because we make them. There is always a reason for making different choices than we are used to doing, but that is what living life is all about.
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Getting put to bed by his babysitter, young Josh is worried about what might be going bump in the night and refuses to take his sleeping pills. Faking out the babysitter, Josh hides the pills under his pillow and listens to the voice of his ghost brother that is warning him about someone coming to get him. With a warning to hide, Josh sees that this is no joke and the group of kidnappers mean business. With one seemingly nice kidnapper in Nancy who is promising that no harm will come to him, Josh is taken against his will to a place where he is not the only child who has been hidden within the walls.

Arriving at the house in the middle of nowhere, leader Jacob makes the call to his client stating that the job has been done. Laying down some ground rules for the gang to follow while in the client’s house, Jacob wants them all to make sure to not wander around, much less touch anything since they don’t really know the person. Setting up the video camera and having Josh beg for his life, the group is done with what they are supposed to do and are forced to sit and wait for the ransom money to come their way. But there is something strange in the house that none of them know about and with the help of an invisible friend, Josh is able to escape with nobody noticing until it is too late.

Being able to wave down a passing car, Josh begs for help from the young couple who are quickly disposed of by the trigger happy Mick. Returning the boy to the house, Nancy is forced to keep a closer look over him but is getting intrigued by what her partner Jack has found in the basement. Wanting to know more about the house and what is on some old VHS tapes, the group finds out that they have bitten off more than they bargained for in the seemingly simple kidnapping job. With a new group starting to surround the house and the spirits coming alive within the walls, it is only a matter of time before one or all meet their fate at the hands of Pure Evil Himself.

Interesting premise overall, with Josh being given a heads up from his ghost brother to the dangers that may and will be presenting themselves. Josh is able to prove to Nancy that his brother is real by telling her something from her past that nobody could have known about her. Nancy really helped to carry the story through the different transitions and she did a great job in doing that, because even with all of the craziness in and outside of the house, she was able to focus on her primary job of keeping Josh safe from the other kidnappers. With a boy that can talk to spirits, a lamb stuffed animal, some creepy kidnappers, some gun play, plenty of hand signals, blood, a house with plenty of secrets and a gateway to talking to the Devil himself, this movie does not pull any punches when it comes to what the fate of the victims will be. I will admit that this movie does make me a little bit interested in what my fate will be and how many hands went in to making my life what it is today. Stay Scared.

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