eVil Sublet is writer-director Allan Piper’s first feature film in just about a decade. The film, which concerns subleasing a haunted apartment in New York City’s East Village, manages to do something other films, both independent and tentpole, cannot get right: that’s right, this horror-comedy is actually funny and scary at the same time, in equal measure.
Alex (Jennifer Leigh Houston) and Ben (Charley Tucker) are a happy couple in need of a new place to live. They are given a tour of an apartment being subleased in eVil (the East Village for those not in the know) that comes fully furnished, has two full bathrooms, and is only $2,000 a month. The catch is that almost all the old tenants died in brutally horrific ways there. The real estate agent (Ashley Bufkin) is upfront about everything but the couple cannot pass up a deal this good.
After moving in, strange things befall the two. Alex enters the bathroom believing Ben is showering, but he barges in after her. Who is using the shower, then? Shortly after that, she hears constant chattering in the hallway. A housewarming party sees a guest chatting away with someone despite him being the first to arrive. Soon enough, the hauntings become savage, demanding blood. Alex and Ben then set off to find someone, anyone, who can help them.
eVil Sublet is chockful of amusing asides. The tour of the apartment is home to some of the best verbal wordplay and hilarious quips of the year. Alex loves that there is a garden, while Ben is worried someone is buried in it. Paranormal investigators Ned (Pat Dwyer) and Lorne (Stephen Mosher) always come across as unintentionally creepy every time they encounter the main duo. The way Ben and Alex write off potentially eerie things as the building being old or some such, is always funny. The jabs at politics are also fantastic and don’t feel shoehorned in.
“…the hauntings become savage, demanding blood. Alex and Ben then set off to find someone, anyone, who can help…”
Piper does an equally great job of bringing horror to life as he does the humor. The hauntings feel dangerous, putting the imminently likable Alex and Ben in harm’s way. This creates very high stakes. The flashback to a ventriloquist (Carla Rhodes) going mad is ominous. Funny Face (Patrick David Wall) is the scariest of all the apparitions. His movements are unnerving, and the joy he takes in killing is disturbing.
eVil Sublet is an independent production, and that shows in the somewhat overexposed daytime sequences. But in every other way, the technicals of this film are exquisite. The editing by Piper is masterful. The flashbacks to the murders are so well-timed that they feel like complete shorts unto themselves. No scene goes on too long, nor does any sequence feel like padding. The Ring-esque video that counts down the deaths is a marvel of detail-orientated craftsmanship. The lighting during the horror moments, especially with Funny Face, feels petrifying.
But all the gonzo madness and silliness would be for naught if the actors could not sell it. Happily, the entire roster of actors is brilliant. Houston turns on a dime from goofy to scared, and it works. Tucker sells the drama and horror with aplomb. Sally Struthers portrays the sublessor, Reena, and shows that her comedic chops are still on point. Dwyer and Mosher walk the tightrope between annoying, funny, and awkward flawlessly. Leanne Borghesi, as Hedy, Alex’s ex-girlfriend, is so sweet and loving that their past relationship makes total sense. Wall makes the simple act of walking menacing.
eVil Sublet is about as perfect as a horror-comedy can get. It’s both very funny and truly terrifying. The pacing is excellent, and the acting is even better. The look of the film, aside from the daylight moments, is eerie and offputting in the best way. Everything here works, and hopefully, it won’t be another decade before Piper graces audiences with his peculiar brand of filmmaking brilliance again.
"…as perfect as a horror-comedy can get."
