Filthy Review - 'The Wrong House'

The Wrong House (2013)

Review by Jude Felton

The Wrong House, which was directed by Eric Hurt, is also known as House Hunting, and whilst I prefer the new title, it should not be confused with Shawn French’s Wrong House from a couple of years back. As it happens though, both are good films and couldn’t really be any further apart in terms of content.

This film follows two families, who inadvertently end up visiting the same house whilst searching for one to buy. The two families are very different from each other, but will end up having to band together when they find themselves trapped at this residence. They aren’t trapped in the Saw 2 or House on Haunted Hill sense of being trapped, but instead it does not matter how far away they try to go, they always end up back at this strange dwelling.

As you might imagine, tensions start to build and the uneasy alliance the families find themselves in is pushed to the limit. Small hints are revealed, which point us in the direction of what has actually happened, or is happening, to them, but it is not until the very end that we find out for sure.

The Wrong House is actually a surprisingly good little movie; it has a good solid blend of the more visceral horror, with its fair share of bloodshed, but it also focuses heavily on creating a scary atmosphere in which we can immerse ourselves. It’s cleverly done and held my attention throughout.

The only real problem I had with The Wrong House is that some of the acting was a little wobbly, but for the most part is was pretty good, with the likes of Art LaFleur and The Beastmaster himself, Marc Singer, turning in solid performances. It’s the wee Rebekah Kennedy who probably gives the most convincing performance though, as her role requires no dialogue, because she can’t, rather than won’t, and has to portray everything visually, and does so very well.

The version of the film that I watched was the UK import from 101 Films, which incidentally is region free and boasts far better artwork than the US release from Phase 4 Films. Alas, there are no special features of any sort on this release, which is a bit of a disappointment because the film is actually very good. A commentary would have been a welcome addition, at the very least.

At the end of the day The Wrong House is a well-crafted flick that hits far more than it misses. If you enjoyed films such as the criminally underrated Dead End (2004), you’ll probably get a kick out of this. Oh, and don’t worry, I haven’t given anything away there, the two films just have a similar vibe, that’s all. You should know me better than that by now!

Throw down the extra few bucks and import yourself a copy of the UK version, because even if you don’t enjoy the movie, you will have some pretty artwork to look at. Mind you, I honestly believe you will dig this cool indie flick, so then you win on both counts.

The Wrong House is released on DVD by 101 Films and is available now.