Are You in the House Alone?

Lets start by stating that this is not a horror movie. Its much more of a drama on the subject of rape whit thriller elements to it. I must say that for a t.v. Movie, it doesn't take the subject to lightly. Sure, some of the writing isn't a thought provoking and serious as it should be given the subject matter but the core of the story and its unraveling i very close to reality and most of what doesn't resonate truth today sure seem appropriate for the time when this was made. Overall, I went into this thinking I was gonna watch a horror movie and even dough I quickly realize this was not gonna be the case, I was already to invested in it to quit and I see that as a sing of good writing and directing. I liked it a lot.

A late 70s TV movie, that whilst not particularly original, is tightly told and most engaging. It is surprising watching this just over thirty years on just how much the social view of sex, sexuality and rape has changed. One central suggestion here is that the main defence will be that only a virgin can be raped. An attitude we now assume only applies in country areas of such countries as India or Pakistan. But this is modern sophisticated USA, and the other social factor this film raises is that of the protected moneyed class, depicted so devastatingly well later in Brian Yuzn'a 'Society'. The film tells us of the main event early on and then flashbacks to give us the lead up and aftermath. Watching it I wasn't sure this was a good idea but it works astonishingly well with much tension and suspense. Kathleen Beller is excellent as the wider eyed victim and a young Dennis Quad does well in one of his very first films.

A young high school student begins getting creepy phone calls which eventually leads to her being stalked in 'Are You in the House Alone?". Gail Osborne is a sweet teenage girl who begins going out with classmate Steve. Eventually, she gets a phone call from an anonymous person who does the whole heavy breathing routine. It gets worse from there as Gail gets a note in her locker stating "I'm watching you". We get our list of suspects early on... is it the creepy photography teacher, Gail's current boyfriend or her ex boyfriend? Gail takes a babysitting job in town and that's when the stalker gets close and sadly Gail is raped by this person. We know who did it, and the rest of the film shows Gail trying to prove this person did this to her.

'Are You in the House Alone' is actually an important film for it's time as it tackles tough topics such a rape and women's rights. It isn't so much a horror film (like the title might make it seem) as it is a suspense/mystery movie. We spend a lot of the film trying to figure out who the stalker is. Once we find out the identity of the person, it's hard to watch Gail have to prove it to her closest friend and even the courts/police. Some of the stalking scenes were REALLY well done, and add creepiness to the movie.

The acting was very well done from Kathleen Beller, Scott Colomby, Robin Mattson and a young Dennis Quaid. Where the film lacks is it's pacing. It drags on quite a bit, and focuses a lot of the time on Gail's family issues and her father who's been recently laid off of his job. Good performances by her parents Blythe Danner and Tony Bill. I recommend seeing this 70's made for TV film for sure. It's only ever been released on VHS, but is online as well. It's a slower moving movie, but definitely has it's moments

7/10

I think my issue with this film is that I was expecting a very different movie, but I also think it makes sense to expect a different one. It's called "Are You in the House Alone?" and is apparently about a babysitter being stalked by an unknown assailant, but that's really about 10 minutes of the running time. Most of this film is a high school drama about this girl's teen angst and her current boyfriend ... and she receives the odd anonymous note leading into the 10 minutes of not very effective horror. This is not for me.

This TV movie is surprisingly good about a girl being stalked at school. I used to watch a lot of these movies as a kid and this one stands out as one of the best. It has an unpredictable ending and holds your attention throughout. Highly recommended if you get the chance to see it!