User reviews

"House of Voices," the first feature film by Pascal Laugier, contains many of the elements that made his 2008 cult-classic "Martyrs" so great. Both films start off in a predictable, genre-specific way -- then gradually reveal darker, stranger, subterranean layers that defy our expectations. Of the two films, "House" is lighter fare, while "Martyrs" is far bloodier and much, much more disturbing.

"House of Voices," begins as a slow-build Gothic ghost-story, in the vein of 2007's "The Orphanage" or 2001's "The Others." "House" works quite well on this level, featuring engaging female performances, a slowly-unravelling mystery, some handsome cinematography, a lush dramatic score, and some moments of genuine dread. But then, in its final act, the film takes a sharp and surprising turn toward the surreal. I could describe what happens in these scenes, but what really makes them work is the way they're filmed -- the simple strange visual power of these moments. Suffice to say, while you might have a general idea where the plot of this movie is headed, you will probably not foresee exactly how it arrives there.

The final scenes of this movie plumb some nightmarish depths, departing stylistically from the subtle Gothic-horror which came before, and entering far stranger territory. Don't worry; it all adds up. This isn't one of those horror films which leads you on, only to end with such strangeness that you have no hope of understanding what the movie was about. No, everything here makes sense in terms of the film's plot. It's just that the film's sudden stylistic change is jarring and surreal, evoking the kinds of unexpected shifts we might experience in our deepest nightmares.

For me, this movie worked quite well. I see some others here have given it bad reviews. I gather that's because they don't know how to tell a thoughtful, well-made film from worthless pap like the "Saw" franchise. This certainly isn't the best movie I've ever seen, but it's a very fine, thoughtful, moderately scary film with a bizarre final act that might haunt you afterward.

If you like this film, and you have a strong stomach, I'd certainly recommend Laugier's "Martyrs." It plays the same stylistic tricks as this film, but much more intensely, and to greater effect. Word of warning, though: It is a far more disturbing film than "House of Voices."

The film delivers for it's intent. Never was it billed as a Not to be a jump and scare ghost story, nor violently bloody. it nevertheless does have all of the ghost story premises intact, a large vacant orphanage secured away in the french alps, plenty of long corridors and winding staircases, and hidden rooms, this film is shot beautifully, and I really liked Joe LoDuca's score (LoDuca having worked with Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert on the Evil Dead films and the Xena and Hercules TV shows) The film is what it is, a nice creepy and atmospheric film to watch on a Sunday afternoon drinking a cup of coffee, and the lead actress Virgine Ledoyn is really nice on the eyes. OK, maybe that's why I gave it a 7 out of 10, but the film's subject matter of missing and/or "scary children" along with the ***SPOILER ALERT*** hidden pregnancy of the lead character, really enhances the viewers investment. Runs a little too long, but as I said, the cinematography is exquisite, so the time passes pleasantly

Have you seen Martyrs (2008) by Pascal Laugier, because you definitely should, but also because he directed this film too.

The Orphanage (2007) obviously took a few cues from here.

I'm only writing this review to save people time.

If you enjoy Pascal Laugier/Guillermo del Toro type movies then you have every reason to check this one out.

Wikipedia also says something I find very interesting about Laugier. Apparently he "was set to direct the remake of Hellraiser but was later taken off the project due to creative differences with the producers; Laugier wanted his film to be very serious and explore gay S&M culture, whereas the producers wanted the film to be more commercial and appeal to a teen audience." Wow, too bad, that would have been brilliant. Instead, they chose to make a Hellraiser for kids who enjoy watching the VMAs. Lol

I watched this film in my class of French Cinema "Fantastique" and I found it an interesting movie. Like all films which have some more depth than the standard Hollywood-film you have to engage your brain a little bit to appreciate it. Thinking about the different interpretations possible (which my teacher helped me with) definitely adds to the experience.

I wouldn't say that the movie is scary, but there are some scenes of suspense. Since I usually engage myself a lot in the movies I watch, I found the situation of the main character very unjust.

Otherwise, the photography is just wonderful, and the film is worth watching just because of this!

This film is hard to review.

I loved the cinematography. It's beautiful and for the small budget I think they did an awesome job.

The story is very interesting. It's a bit hard to understand while you watch it but if you let it linger in your mind for a bit (and check out some of the forums here :)) you will hopefully see that it is a well crafted piece of work. It's sad that people who don't understand the story or who just think its boring gets to vote. You wouldn't give a film 10/10 just because you understand everything in a film straight away? So why give this film 1/10? It's just sad and ignorant.

The issue I had with the film was that it was very slow and I couldn't help myself from watching the clock a few times. With a faster pace and a few more disturbing images this could easily have been a 8/10.

I saw it two hours ago. I went on the forum just to check out some of the confusion that was in my mind. Maybe if I would have waited a day or two I might have figured most of the stuff out for myself. But I think the film is meant to have you make up your own mind of what really happened. And that is what I really like about films like this.

6/10 only for the slow pace.

See it with an open mind and hopefully you'll enjoy it.

Saint Ange is a slow paced and atmospheric French horror movie that has got quite a lot of negative critics. Even though the critics are not completely wrong and have some valuable facts, I think that the movie was at least acceptable if not somewhat intriguing which is justified by my rather positive rating.

On the negative side you have the fact that there is not much horror in this movie. The opening sequence is great and the weird ending sequences are well done and one or two times you have a somewhat supernatural phenomenon that may surprise you. The rest of the movie focuses on the characters and the locations and even though this is necessary for the story, it gets a little bit boring from time to time. This movie would have needed more thrills and tensions.

On the good side you have the solid acting of the three women that stay at the Saint Ange orphanage. The development of these characters is very important to understand the highlight of the movie which is the ending. I'm sure that many critics didn't like this movie because they thought that the ending was strange or surreal but these people didn't get the real sense of the movie as there is much more behind it than it seems but I don't want to reveal too much and suggest you to watch the movie and make up your own mind. In fact, the director said that the movie is rather open to interpretation and can be understood in many different ways. I think this is a strong point of the movie.

This is the main reason why I suggest the readers of my contribution to ignore both very negative and very positive critics of this movie. They should not be influenced or have any expectations and watch this movie until the very end and do the effort to think about what they have just seen. It's not so twisted and complicated as it seems, Asian horror cinema for example is way more difficult to approach but also way better in my opinion. Those who expect a thrilling horror movie may be disappointed but those who like slow paced psychological crime or drama movies might actually like this.

Saint Ange is an atmospheric movie. A leisurely walk into a strange world depicted through excellent photography and sound track. The movie has all the elements of a scary movie but delivers these elements in a rather adult fashion, hence no cheap thrills and screams to entertain an audience younger than 18 perhaps. A beautiful set and setting compliment the story well with the emphasis being on the visuals and mood rather than the actual storyline. If you like your movies to have a linear beginning middle and end, with everything falling into place, this is not the movie for you. If you can enjoy what a movie presents you with, rather than the narrative per se, you will enjoy this movie for what it is – a stroll (leading nowhere) into the twisted past of an orphanage of a bygone era.

I thought Martyrs was a hugely over-hyped nonevent ... Just what people say it isn't ... But it is just torture porn ... This however is a magical, visually stunning piece of cinema ... Just because it doesn't have an obvious linear narrative and make everything obvious for the slower among us it seems to have been ripped to pieces by the critics out there I have to admit one image nearly ruined it for me and I wish those contact lenses weren't there and she had worn a dress in that scene and played it down rather than iconically ... That would have made it an 8 out of ten rather than a 7.5 ... But I really loved it Hopefully the director will develop this side of his imagination rather than feeling the need to throw loads of boring bloody torture porn at us, like he was obviously forced into with Martyrs... Thats just the latest little gore movie for the youngsters to sit through and think they are big ... This film is for those that demand a bit more in a film

Unfortunately, like so many scary movies, it starts out with those first two things... adjust about the time you're really interested in it... it just kind of wanders off into nothingness. (In this case, it wanders off into a lot of artsy shots and half-explained things, and leaves us clueless about what the movie director was trying to tell us, and NO clue about what the 'end' was supposed to be.) I hate to see movies with such a great setting, even creepier concept/idea, just... go right on down the drain that way. What a pity. It could have been a darn good movie. Even so, it's fun to watch for the sake of the first two things. Maybe someone will see it and be inspired to create an even better version. ;)

A young woman named Anna (Virginie Ledoyan) is hired to help clean an abandoned orphanage, Saint Ange, after a series of accidents forces its closure. Anna has been forced to leave her previous job after her employer raped her and left her pregnant - something she desperately wants to hide. She's not completely alone at Saint Ange as the cook (Dorina Lazar) is still around to help Anna and to care for the one remaining orphan, a disturbed older girl named Judith (Lou Doillon). Before long, Anna begins to experience some unusual things in the house including mysterious noises, voices, and footsteps. With Judith's help, Anna begins to investigate the giant house and its history. The cook claims to have noticed nothing and questions Anna's sanity. Is Anna mad or does the house have secrets to hide?

If nothing else, I would call House of Voices an ambitious film. I got the distinct impression that the director, Pascal Laugier, was attempting to bring back some of the style of the 1970s Euro-horror films to a modern audience. The film has much of the look and feel you would find in some of the best classic Italian horror films. Many of the camera shots are reminiscent of something you might find in an Argento or Fulci film. Laugier went so far as to cast Catriona MacColl, best known to me from her roles in three of Fulci's zombie films, as the headmistress of the orphanage. If Laugier was actually going for something akin to the films I've mentioned, then he succeeded. I noticed it straightaway.

House of Voices is a very slow moving and very atmospheric film. Laugier takes his time telling his story and the movie benefits from it. If you're looking for a thrill-a-minute, stay away. But if you enjoy leisurely paced films where the horror is more subtle than in your face, you'll appreciate Laugier's efforts. As for atmospheric, there are moments in the film where the atmosphere is so thick you can all but cut it with a knife. There's a real sense of foreboding throughout the huge house. The feeling that Anna is in real danger is inescapable. It's one of the films real highlights.

The acting in House of Voices is quite good. I was extremely impressed with Virginie Ledoyan. She brought real believability to her role. I could feel the fear and pain she was going through. I don't think I've seen her in anything before, but I'll keep an eye out for her in the future. The supporting cast is equally good and enjoyable. I've got no complaints as far as the acting is concerned.

Unfortunately, there are some real problems with House of Voices that keep it from being a great film. Chief among them is the screenplay. It's so utterly confusing that it almost feels purposeful to make House of Voices seem deeper and full of hidden meaning that's really not there. I don't mind a film that makes you think, but there are too many loose ends and plot points that make no sense. Who killed the kittens? What was in that box Anna found hidden in the wall? What really happened in the orphanage years previous? Was I right when I said Anna was raped by her previous employer? I can make educated guesses, but there are too many of these nagging questions left unanswered at the films end. A script that actually explains a few of the major plot points would have made House of Voices a real winner.

I noticed this movie had a lot of bad reviews, and they're wrong.

Though it could do with a bit more explanation in some parts the overall movie is fascinating. It has a near perfect cast, small though it is, and beautiful music. Not to mention it's set in a gorgeous old house. If nothing else see it for that.

I think the actual story was very well done, it's a change from the stock standard 'heroine' ideal by far. Maybe thats the part many people missed. The filming of it was beautifully done and built up the atmosphere very well, though sometimes it could seem a little slow. It was successful at being decently creepy without going too far.

The costumes are great and subtly manage to change the mood of the film, something not easy to pick up on but it's there if you look closely. This is a film that you need to read into, it has many, many small details that could easily get overlooked since we're used to having clues and suchlike handed to us in most other films.

The character development was easy to follow, nothing seemed out of place. Definitely a must see for people who like movies such as The Turn of the Screw. It has the same eerie atmosphere and a well built though small cast. It definitely leaves you with chills.

Just watched this movie, and I have to say, much better than I expected. I don't understand why the majority of comments are negative, unless they are from people who are into gory/splatter movies and not creepy/scary ones.

Though not chock full of jump out of your skin scares, has enough weird stuff to keep it interesting. And that is coming from someone who likes his scary movies

PS This NOT why we Americans make fun of the French, it's because you came up with lots of interesting concepts...like sabotage, agent provocateur...and ennui,whatever the heck that is.

Man, Pascal Laugier rocks! This guy really knows how to put together a well crafted horror film. He's like the 2000s Steven Spielberg of horror films. I only wish he made more extreme horror like he did with Martyrs because I love all of his film work.

My one critique is that I didn't quite understand the end of the film. I didn't understand why Anna did what she did in the end of the film or if she was indeed going crazy, what exactly happened to her. There was no backstory to Anna before she arrived to Saint Ange.