The other issue is that Caldwell plays both Tara and Lyvia. Now, this is not a problem with her acting, as for her first gig, she does extraordinarily well. However, the fact that the two are identical, as evidenced by Lyvia’s self-portrait in the living room, never comes into play. No one in town mentions it, confuses the journalist for the painter, or makes it a big deal at all. It is a strange and distracting casting decision, even if the actor handily pulls it off. For those wondering, the twists and turns of the narrative don’t give any more credence to the parts being played by one person.
On the technical front, Cody Martin’s cinematography is a visual treat. Lyvia’s House uses the natural light of its rural location to cast an eerie pall on the exterior scenes. Tara breaks down in the living room, and the camera cranes up and pulls back, seemingly going through one of Lyvia’s paintings, drowning the lead in dark forest green. This is intercut with a body being buried outside, which is awash in amber hues. The contrast between the burial and Tara losing her mind is conveyed wonderfully by the camera movements and the colors, creating a visually stimulating experience. The editing by Volonakis is also perfectly done to deliver maximum impact.
“…a visual treat.”
Story-wise, the film is very engrossing. It is a true mystery, one that takes a while to figure out. All the evidence makes sense once the facts are laid out. The menace and danger Tara is in feel real. This keeps audiences on edge and makes them feel similar to the main character. It helps that, as previously mentioned, Caldwell is great in the part. Malekos is a little monotone, but there’s ultimately a reason for it. As the ending nears, he really gets to let loose and proves his chops. Gideon is so sweet and loving that all watching would like her as their best friend.
Lyvia’s House is a strong debut for its writer, director, and cast. While it might be flawed in a few ways, the strength of the story, the acting, colorization, and cinematography easily make up for any shortcomings. If one wants an eerie mystery with a big twist, then look no further.
For more information, visit the official Lyvia’s House site.
"…a strong debut for its writer, director, and cast."
A 6.7 out of 10 is a score very much in line with the modern era, something any horror film critic would agree with today. This is because the role of the actor has been so modernized that it’s almost impossible to distinguish it from the cult classics of the early ’60s and ’80s. So, even with a solid plot, while the film’s original ideas are so important, its producers seem to shield themselves from the elements and make it stand out. For example, there’s no real sense of unease in the scene; it’s a normalized scenario that the brave women must face. Once caught up in the mix of emotions, is anyone able to follow their dreams as if trying to tell us about the past, something bad that happened there before? What they witness is a victim or a pattern of mutual harassment, stalking each other, although what sounds completely acceptable today is that they actually do it. The victims are forced to confront their aggressors just to survive. It’s practically the narrator. Although the awakening from the spell, like many people’s stories, potentially comes too late to do anything about it, and many don’t take the time to write down their emotions to stay abreast of the best horror movie reviews, they lived in the era when the modern world was created and are probably unaware of its reality. I’m sure that, once at this level, they would be afraid to leave their homes. This approach to suspense doesn’t have a sadistic element that traps its victims in the present, but rather the norm that they have deemed acceptable in modern society, and they can assume the identities of others to set traps. What’s surprising is that the Latin American audience gave it higher scores!