The Happy House

I enjoyed this movie. Perhaps more importantly I still find myself thinking about it. If you are searching for the obvious then I think it is wise to look elsewhere. If not, this little gem is beautifully shot, has amazing sound and a wonderful cast of characters. Although I found the connection between the two leading actors to be wanting the rest of the cast more than makes up for this. The matron mother of the bed and breakfast is great, so too is her overfed and doted on son. And as for the lepidopterist and the sister - I won't spoil that fun here. I do wish there had been a bit more pace but I suspect this was intentional. Overall this movie works for me, precisely because it is so close to what I expected but intelligently, humorously, and knowingly recast. I am not quite sure why but this movie reminds me of the sequence in Blue Velvet when Beaumont finds the ear (and those ants)...

I think the other reviewers on here are not getting this film at all. I can see why it wouldn't be for everyone, but I thought it was actually really funny. The film is clearly commenting on the clichés you see ALL THE TIME in horror films, through the eyes of the two main characters. But then there's a moment when things suddenly change (I don't want to give anything away) and the movie gets a lot darker. If you go into this expecting a straightforward horror film then you will probably be disappointed, but I personally found it pretty surprising and different. Anyway lots of the reviews say it better than I am. Also there are some really funny characters like the lady who runs the bed and breakfast and this butterfly catcher who is obsessed with finding this one butterfly.

The Happy House is a remote Bed & Breakfast specializing in odd rules to make your stay as uncomfortable as possible. It somehow got good reviews (even though the movie itself has gotten bad reviews) and our New York Couple are off for a weekend to repair their relationship. Wendy doesn't want to go; Joe thinks it will be for the best. And as an audience, we have no clue what it's going to be like.

It starts out just plain weird. With an old-fashioned batty housewife, Hildie, ordering the couple around, and her strange grown son, Skip, who may or may not kill people, it doesn't seem like the most inviting movie to watch, but it does suggest there will be some kind of plot eventually.

And sure enough, there is a plot. With Joe and Wendy stuck there, a Swedish lepidopterist who likes staying there, and then the arrival of Hildie's significantly more normal sister, Linda, we now have a full house of people and action that can unfold entirely within the house and amongst the conversation of the people.

A deputy arrives at the door informing them that a serial killer is on the loose and they should not leave the house. I tend to like movies that force the action into one location and let the dialogue drive the characters forward. They each have their distinct personality and their own ideas on what they should to keep themselves safe. They make a number of mistakes, but I guess that's what keeps this horror-comedy silly.

I think I might be in the minority in wanting more character drama, but that's probably why I liked "The Happy House" which is short on thrills and laughs. It's an interesting premise with some strange elements but there's enough intrigue to the characters to keep some fans interested.

Who Might Like This: People who like character dramas disguised as horror-comedies; anybody looking for an odd combination of horror, comedy and relationship drama.

I guess this film may not be for everyone, but as someone who likes quirky, I certainly did. It's not a bog standard horror, it's not a bog standard comedy, it's not even a bog standard comedy/horror. In this case it's very much the different characters that drive the film and it feels very much like a stage play at times. When I first started watching it, I will admit to considering turning it off and trying something else but I'm glad I stuck with it. I loved the mix of characters who all had their issues and, although some may question their realism, I think the way they acted throughout the film was in line with their slightly strange natures. This film kept me guessing as to who the killer was going to be as all the characters at the beginning (with the exception of the couple) seemed like prime candidates. All in all, I really enjoyed this and it held my attention to the end. If you like your films a little bit strange, a bit funny and a bit dark then give this a go.

Their relationship on the rocks, a young Brooklyn couple heads to a remote B&B to work things out. But from the moment they arrive at the Happy House it is one disaster after another, and they soon begin to suspect they have wandered into a real life horror movie.

Well, unfortunately this film does not include Siouxsie Sioux's "Happy House" on the soundtrack. But what it does have is some odd pseudo-intellectual conversations centering around Nouveau Recontextualism and a Bukowski reference, as well as a butterfly scientist (who loves Nabokov).

Neil Genzlinger at the New York Times does not love this movie. He writes, "The film, a sleepy, low-budget affair, merely enacts a series of horror movie clichés, as if that were enough. Its bland actors and wit-free script do nothing with the familiar elements but present them." That is not without merit. The movie tries to be a horror comedy, but is very light on the horror and equally light on the comedy. While still enjoyable for its characters, there is really nothing memorable and this comes off as an experiment that was not completely successful.