Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘House on Elm Lake’

Written by Scott Edwards

​Throughout my years, I have figured out that nobody is perfect, and second chances should be given out more often. While some things may seem extremely terrible at the time, they are really a learning experience, and nobody should be punished for learning. It can be difficult to let go of what was done to hurt you, but in the long run, if you want to have a good relationship with someone, you have to learn to accept their flaws. With life being a learning experience on a daily basis, just be sure to keep your eyes open for the bigger picture, because if you choose to focus on the little things, you may wind up missing so much more.

Moving into their new home by the lake, unmarried couple Hayley and Eric are trying to get a new start in their relationship. With their daughter Penny being the primary focus of staying together, Haley has been able to put Eric’s cheating ways in the rearview, for now. Getting comfortable in their new surroundings, the couple gets unpacked, but there is something strange about this house that is starting to take its toll on Eric. Searching through some of the previous owner’s stuff, Eric spots something that seems out of place and brings an old book into the house to examine, but little does he know the power that the pages will contain.

With the house becoming their home, Hayley invites her best friend Crystal over to visit and she is blown away by the house. Admitting that they got a great deal on the house, due to some sort of ritualistic killing that took place there years ago, Hayley will not leave for any price since she is still trying to repair her and Eric’s relationship. Crystal on the other hand feels like there is something sinister creeping behind the walls of the house and wants to know exactly what it is. Bringing over a Ouija Board to try and summon some of the spirits in the house to find out what happened may have seemed like a good idea, however it awakens something much darker than anyone in the house could have imagined.

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While not getting the job that he was promised, which was the main incentive for his family to move to the little town, Eric is trying to keep a positive outlook on the new living situation, but he is having a problem settling into his new home. Seeing people out the corner of his eye and developing some sort of rash, he is starting to become something that he could not imagine. With the house slowly coming to life after Hayley reads a passage from the old book that he found and the Ouija Board welcoming in the spirits, the house is starting to get more visitors than he expected. But things quickly come to light for himself and Hayley when their first babysitter vanishes without a trace and while they believe she just bolted, the couple is in for the surprise of a lifetime when the house reveals its deep and dark secrets. 

From the beginning of the movie, you get to see what the house has in store for the homeowners and that is not a bad thing, because damn, there is a demon looking to make it out of Hell and back to the land of the living. I liked how Eric could not get comfortable in the house from the very beginning and while he could not fully understand why, his transformation into something sinister was pretty darn good. Young Penny and her father become privy to what the house is trying to show them, but once the Ouija Board is used, they get a broader picture of what the spirits are trying to tell them. 

Hayley on the other hand is not able to see or hear these things and while she might believe that her family is going crazy, she will do anything to keep them together, because there is nothing more important to her than family. With an old murder house, a non-trusting relationship, a cynical best friend, a creepy old spirit, an old book, a Ouija Board, a family falling into madness and a demon looking to make his presence known, this movie has it all. When I am house hunting, I always want to know if someone passed away inside the walls, because for some reason, when that happens, there always seems to be a bigger issue than just repainting the walls. Stay Scared.

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