REVIEW: There's Some Spooky Stuff in Quiet House, But It's Mostly Just Arthouse Wigwaggery

Quiet House is not only a horror film but an important Little bit of Social Commentary, because you will find when you're getting for the movies third-act twist. Basically, it's not recommending that you simply watch a afraid womans face for a lot of one hour half an hour -- in sort-of real-time, surprisingly -- without any allegedly justification. This can be good-for-you, arthouse-style horror. Which does not necessarily mean it's usually useful. The gimmick goes similar to this: A young lady named Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) is proven rattling round her familys lake house in many extended takes made to own effect of real-time. We view her wandering with the water as if lost in the dream coming back for the house to greet her father, John (Adam Trese), whos remodeling the joint by getting a watch toward selling it being puzzled each time a mysterious dark-haired beauty round her very own age, Sophia (carried out by Julia Taylor Ross), appears in-front door, declaring that of all the fun occasions the two had as kids -- Sarah cant seem to bear in mind an issue. But she does tell Sophia, inside an very apparent bit of horror-assistant dialogue, The phone lines arent setup and our cells dont exercise here -- information that will later, clearly, prove useful for an individual to know. Other activities happens: For instance, Uncle Peter (Eric Sheffer Stevens), whos helping his brother and Sarah repair the house, eyes her with somewhat inappropriate lasciviousness and states, Provide you with credit -- I cant overcome how grown-up you are. Then Uncle Peter will require off, and Sarah and her father still wander the inky shadows in the old homestead, their faces illuminated only with the camping lamps they tote around. Minutes later -- or possibly could it be several hours? -- Sarah learns a noise upstairs. Father increases to analyze, and many types of seems well until theres an ominous thunk. Many of the relaxation in the picture is certainly a long study of Sarahs face, that's generally twisted in to a mask of fear and dread. It takes forever for products to begin happening in Quiet House. So when they're doing, you would like they wouldnt. The look can be a remake in the Uruguayan film La Casa Muda, directed by Gustavo Hernndez, which developed a mild splash at Cannes a few previously in line with the primary one-shot gimmick. Chris Kentis -- who also made the 2003 shark-sadism drama Open Water -- and Laura Lau did the refashioning here, and no matter the films defects may be, you'll find stretches that are fantastically suspenseful and atmospheric. Thats thanks simply for the pictures appear design: Once we hear actions treading perilously close to Sarah, we could tell the person is shod in heavy boots with rubbery soles the appear from the disposed of bottle moving across an uneven wood floor is hollow and mournful from time to time the house groans a little, as if in denial in the problems its hiding within. However theres the music activity, because of Nathan Larson, which isn't really music, but really a small, migrainey hum. And poor Elizabeth Olsen: Her face is luminous and compelling alone -- she need not do much. But she's lots of unbroken minutes to accomplish Quiet House: One second shes grimacing, the next shes practically biting her wrist to keep from screaming, the next shes to grimacing again. Please! Theres merely a lot an actress are capable of doing to fill these endless extended takes. Ultimately, Quiet House just is taken away just like a highly accomplished bit of arthouse wigwaggery -- together with a indication that careful editing, rather than languorous love of your stuff, might be the heavens strict friend. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.