The Night House is a horror-psychological movie directed by David Bruckner, who has also directed other horror films such as Siren, V/H/S, Southbound, and The Ritual. The movie premiered in 2020 and stars Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Evan Jonigkeit.
The plot revolves around Beth, a young widow who has just lost her architect husband, Owen. While still grieving, Beth discovers a dark secret about the house she is living in – a house designed by her husband. She tries to uncover the truth about what happened and why she is experiencing strange supernatural occurrences at night.
Beth finds a suicide note from Owen that reads, “You’re right. There’s nothing. There’s no one chasing you. You’re safe now.” This only adds to her confusion, and she begins to experience inexplicable supernatural events at night. Beth also discovers a map of their home that is drawn in reverse and a photograph of a woman who looks just like her on Owen’s phone. She starts to suspect that her late husband had been cheating on her.
Beth confides in Claire, her neighbor and best friend, about her experiences. She tells Claire about how she died for four minutes after a car accident and that she couldn’t see anything during that time. She also mentions that Owen started to act strange after that incident. Beth becomes increasingly paranoid about the woman in the photograph and the strange occurrences happening in their home at night.
One evening, Beth sees a frightened woman running into the woods, and she follows her. She discovers that the woman was with Owen in the past, and they had built a house that was upside down. This trauma caused the woman to take her own life, and this is the same woman who appears in the eerie photo on Owen’s phone.
Beth faints upon learning all of this and comes to in her own house. She immediately goes to the house in the woods again. The structure is incomplete now, but she explores it and discovers a strange doll. She also meets a man named Mel, who tells her that he has never seen the house she is describing before. However, he did see Owen in the woods with a woman resembling Beth.
Beth begins to unravel the mystery of her husband’s past by examining his laptop and finding more photos of women who resemble her. She learns that Owen was studying demonic entities, and he was interested in voodoo dolls. She visits the bookstore where Owen bought his material and finds a woman named Madelyne, who looks just like her.
In conclusion, The Night House is an enthralling movie with a unique plot, brilliant direction, and fantastic performances by the cast. Rebecca Hall is particularly impressive in her portrayal of Beth, and she skillfully captures the character’s angst and confusion. The Night House is a must-watch for all horror fans who enjoy a good psychological twist.
