His House Review

Certificate: 15

Running time: 92 minutes

Starring: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, Matt Smith, Gamba Cole

Directed by: Remi Weekes

The story: After escaping war torn South Sudan, a refugee couple have trouble adjusting to their new life in an English town.

The verdict: Haunted houses are a well used subgenre in film, often proving to be one of the most effective - there is something particularly horrifying in finding terror where you hang your hat. Joining the haunted house subgenre is another incredibly effective instalment in His House. 

His House follows a married couple who have fled from their war torn country. Arriving in England, it is obvious that their journey was not an easy one nor one that they will soon forget. Eager to settle in and move forward, they willingly go along with the asylum process. This process feels utterly devoid of any humanity. Though the couple aren't treated badly, it is clear that they are just another number to be ticked off, another form to be filled out. The facelessness of this is reflected in the fact that we never learn the names of the couple. We do however know that name of their case worker Mark, who bats off the rundown state of the house he shows them around telling them, "it's bigger than my house."

His House is unique in the way that it intertwines two elements of horror so compellingly. Before any of the bumps in the night and strange happenings begin, the horror is already overwhelmingly present in what the couple has gone through to get to England and the experiences that they have had. The horror of real life acts as a foundation for the horror of the supernatural to build upon, resulting in a terrifying yet thought provoking experience for the audience. As the film goes on, it is hard not to wonder which of these elements is the more frightening.

Dirisu and Mosaku both put in great performances here, full of nuances that make them characters that we truly believe in. Visually, His House makes really good use of lighting and tone and the sound design is highly effective. Altogether, His House looks and feels like a haunted house - the creaks, groans and scares all combine to make the experience one that often makes you want to watch from behind a cushion or through your fingers. 

His House does feel very topical and current, but it is also very metaphorical and there are elements that are up to the audience to decipher. His House is such a unique film, giving audiences the horror of being a refugee and the experience of seeking asylum and then subverting that horror into something else entirely, yet still just as awful.  I honestly think that His House is one of the most horrifying films of the year. 

The rating: ★★★★