Evil Sublet

Looking for a new apartment, a couple takes up residence in a cheap apartment rumored to be haunted which proves to be true when they start to encounter a slew of paranormal activity that drives them toward a special investigator to look into what's going on in their house.

This was a rather solid genre outing that has a lot going for it. Most of the film's points are centered around its comedy, where the idea of this one utilizing just about everything as a comedic joke offers a lot to like. The central silliness of the situation, where everyone is completely aware of the haunted nature of what's going on but leaving everything to chance just because of the situation they find themselves in, manages to be such a fun recurring joke that it drives much of the humor here. Knowingly moving in and not bothering to deal with the haunted nature of the apartment because of the cheap rent and prominent spot it's located in makes a lot of the situation gags and general awkwardness of everything feel far funnier than necessary, with some of this all brought about attempted hauntings such as running objects that shouldn't be operating, hallucinations of figures not there, or noticing odd happenings but brushing it all off for the sake of staying in the apartment they have for cheap. While this gives the film a great sense of fun, it does so at the expense of downgrading the horror into a near-nonexistent glaze that might be the entire point of the experience but still doesn't help enhance that at all. Far too much of the supposed hauntings are played off for laughs with the whole thing being presented as such an absurd inconvenience that doing anything about it isn't a bother and it's far more fruitful to remain where they are to just deal with it even if it brings about professional ruin or obscene distress to themselves. That it does such a fine job of convincing that it's haunted with genuinely intriguing and chilling ideas that it could've been fine as a straightforward genre feature with just a few touches of comedy to help things along with the whole idea of this one trimmed down just a touch as it's a bit too long for its own good with this type of setup. These all manage to hold this one back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Nudity, and Violence.

A balls-out hilarious nightmare comedy about the devil's bargain that is finding an affordable Manhattan apartment. A loving tribute to New York's grittiness and New Yorkers' grit, it's got a lived-in DIY aesthetic, excellent scares, some squirm-inducing special effects, a high gut-laughs-per-minute ratio, queer representation galore, and even some genuine feeling along the way. Jennifer Leigh Houston is magnificent as the tough and terrorized heroine, Pat Dwyer and Stephen Mosher shine as a couple of Coney Island gay paranormal investigators, and when Sally Struthers shows up...she shows it's no accident that she's been out here killing it for all these decades.

If you are a horror-comedy fan and this screens near you, don't miss it.

Hilarious film that brilliantly captures what people will accept in order to get an affordable NYC apartment. Throw in some carnival funhouse scares and you have eVil Sublet.

Even the title is a superb joke on the theme.

Real NYC locations (including Coney Island!) plus fun performances across the board, features a standout Jennifer Leigh Houston in the lead.

Slickly made but has nods to grind house films of the '70s and '80s through some of the supporting roles. Sally Struthers has an impactful role that reflects our time.

Director Allan Piper skillfully combines all of these elements and throws in even more unexpected genres to make a film enjoyable and entertaining for everyone.

What a clever, unique film! Anyone who loves New York, (especially Coney Island) and horror should find a way to see this movie. Lots of inside jokes for urban dwellers and also for those who don't understand how $2k a month is a bargain for a three-bedroom apartment in the East Village...EVil, like SoHo;) It's not easy to pull off funny terrifying moments of extreme peril with moments that are sweet between characters but it's genuine happening here. Add the blood, gore, nudity and creepy dolls and legit jumps, and a storyline that's twisty with no loose ends- it's a blast. Jennifer Houston's comic timing and fab ponytails cement that gen-X scream queens still rule!!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It has some great lines, the acting is pretty good and it doesn't take itself seriously. There's a few decent jump scares in there too, as well as some satirical commentary on the property rental market and consumerism. I did wonder what I was getting into, as there is some nudity in the opening scene, but it doesn't last long and doesn't persist throughout the film.

Evil Sublet was obviously shot on a very tight budget but the makers seem to have got the most out of it. Still trying to work out what the real supernatural occurrences were that are claimed to be spliced into the film!