Home With A View Of The Monster

Home With A View Of The Monster, written and directed by Alex and Todd Greenlee, is one part Blair Witch, one part parable horror, and two parts Tell-Tale Heart style mystery. That isn’t to imply there’s no originality on display, quite the contrary. The brothers take all those elements and fashion a wholly unique vision that demands to be experienced.

Rita (Ellen Humphreys) and Dennis (Sébastien Charmant) are camping in the woods. As they discuss future plans, they decide to come home early. So, they call the couple vacationing in their home via StayBnB to inform them of the change of plans. When Rita and Dennis return to their lakeside house, the couple is gone. Though they left behind a mess and the bathroom door is mysteriously locked.

Later on, Rita and Dennis are on the pier when they see a man with an axe entering their home. This man is Chance (Jasper Hammer), one of the vacationers who left early. He informs the couple that the person he was with, Kate (Danielle Evon Ploeger), is hiding somewhere in the house. The problem comes from the fact that Kate is dangerous and will potentially kill the other three.

“…recounting of Kate and Chance’s time at the house and the events after Rita and Dennis return and their struggles with something supernatural…”

From there, Home With A View Of The Monster splits into two stories- a recounting of Kate and Chance’s time at the house and the events after Rita and Dennis return and their struggles with something supernatural now haunting their home. To say more would ruin the intensity and drama of this mystery-horror film.

Adam Wingard is the man responsible for the cult-favorite You’re Next and Blair Witch, the belated sequel to the horror classic. I am aware that the man has legions of fans, though I am not amongst them. Having seen the majority of his films, I have not cared for any of them to date. But, the Greenlee brothers’ use of silhouette and intentionally jarring edits, especially for the Kate and Chance plot, bring to mind Wingard. The difference is that their feature-length debut proves that this style can be used to mesmerizing, eerie effect when proper control of tone and atmosphere is maintained throughout.

Chance breaks back-in to the house and sees Dennis upright on the edge of the bed. Dennis is reloading his gun in his sleep. Chance walks up to him and waves his hands in front of Dennis. The soft lights coming in through the blinds cast the two characters as just two shadows. It is a spellbinding and gorgeous sequence. The Greenlees also really amp up the scares, such as a shockingly quiet scene wherein two supernatural experts evaluate the house and leave without a word. It adds a subtle menace to the hauntings and leaves the protagonists in a tough position.