House Call (2011) Review

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From: Sphinx Productions

    Janice (Aimee Bello) is quite happy with her boyfriend Steve (Michael Jordan), the only problem is her abusive husband Dave (Brad Egger). Janice uses a bit of “unique” problem solving to help matters but ends up the target of Dave’s black magic practicing mother.

    I want very badly to say there’s more to this movie than synopsis implies but there really isn’t. Every important thing you need to know about the plot is explained the first few minutes; Janice and Steve are together but Janice married to the abusive Dave whose mother happens to practice black magic.

    Four months after Janice finally has enough and kills her husband, she’s living with Steve (in the house where she killed Dave no less, that’s not strange at all) and they’re quickly approaching their one year anniversary. Of course, the former Dave’s Voodoo Momma didn’t take to kindly to her son’s death and is out for vengeance, CGI-aided, black magic vengeance.

    Really, the computer effects aren’t very good; they come across as very corny and not in fun way. Bello and Jordan spend the first half of the film adding to the cornball content, turning in dull and uninspired performances in the build to the climax.

     Despite the slow, stiff first half, the final minutes make it worth seeing. When things start going to hell and Janice is fighting for survival, Wilson does a great job of setting pace as well as delivering a few genuinely scary moments. The FX team did a great job with the make-up and physical effects in the final, gross, gory struggle.

    Writer/Director/Executive Producer Erik L. Wilson made the decision to film House Calls with a RED One camera, this gives it a really polish, clean look. Add this to the excellent camera work, some pretty dynamic cuts, as well as the great practical effects and what you have is one of the more crisp and visceral looking horror movies you’ll see this year. Bello is a low budget Scream Queen in the making, as long as her roles require her to run and scream in terror more than they require her to act and Jordon, while not strong in the early minutes, displays a great, calm but violent intensity in the later moments.