Lyvia’s House is the feature-length debut of director Niko Volonakis and screenwriter Patricia V. Davis. It’s the first credit for star Tara Nichol Caldwell, while co-star Joshua Malekos only has six previous films, shorts and full-length, to his name (all according to IMDb). Is this horror-thriller a successful outing for these young artists, or is the curtain already closing on their talents?
Tara (Caldwell) has not been dating Johnny (Malekos) long but already feels he’s the one. So, without him meeting her friends or family, Tara packs up and moves to a rural area with Johnny. Things begin well in their shared home since Johnny got the large place for a steal as the original owner, artist Lyvia (Caldwell), needed to sell it quickly. However, that night, Tara is convinced a rat ran across her face and licked her. Johnny looks high and low but sees no evidence of any rodent of any kind.
“…an uncomfortable encounter with the local recluse and the town’s dark history coming to light put the young journalist in an uneasy place.”
The next few days cause some issues, as the folks who are meant to install the wifi keep not showing up. Tara needs the internet for her job as a journalist. Good news comes in the form of the local bar having wifi and postal worker Mary Ann (Ann Marie Gideon) and Tara hitting it off. However, an uncomfortable encounter with the local recluse and the town’s dark history coming to light put the young journalist in an uneasy place. The bodies of locals piling up make things even worse for her mental state. Soon enough, Tara accuses Johnny of keeping secrets and not caring about her, despite his instance to the contrary. Who is killing the townspeople? Is there a rat in the house?
Lyvia’s House needs its sound to be re-mixed. An early scene at a karaoke bar has the attendees’ volume and Tara and her friend’s dialogue at the same level. This makes it very difficult to hear everything being said. When Johnny sings, it is so quiet that it is not evident he’s begun yet. Such issues crop up throughout the 116-minute runtime.
"…a strong debut for its writer, director, and cast."
