House of Ashes (2024)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

Haunted by the deaths of both her husband and unborn baby, Mia Sheldon (Fayna Sanchez) is forced to face both psychological and supernatural threats as she remains under house arrest. House of Ashes is a nod to classic horror flicks with a modern twist. Does it live up to the distinguished films of the past?

An equal parts over and under acted film, House of Ashes lacks vigor, emotion, and much of anything to gravitate toward as a viewer. With that, there is no emotional or tonal balance achieved, and it’s challenging as a viewer to understand how to appropriately respond to many of the scenes. There’s something of a void present in House of Ashes that viewers are meant to fill in order for the production to work—and that drags the film down and makes it challenging to appreciate. 

There’s a lack of cohesion in this film, and much of that stems from the aforementioned performances—but much of that comes from the lack of information provided to viewers. It’s hard to know where Mia and the others stand when very little is provided in terms of context (and by the end, legitimate answers). House of Ashes attempts to provide some level of reasoning for all that transpires throughout, but the script feels unpolished and ultimately unfinished. As answers are provided, I couldn’t help but to feel that they were less of that and more of an excuse as to why Writer Steve Johanson and Writer-Director Izzy Lee did the things they did. I appreciate filmmakers taking liberties and having fun with their projects, particularly when it comes to more indie films such as House of Ashes, but the underwhelming script only hinders the film’s ability to feel complete. 

Coincidentally I recently watched Rosemary’s Baby for the first time, a groundbreaking film in the field of horror that used psychological rather than physical horror to propel the production. In the same vein, House of Ashes attempts to lean heavily into the psychological world of horror, but incorporates intendedly terrifying visuals as well to add depth. Those ideas don’t fully incorporate into one another, and, again, that lack of cohesion reigns supreme. 

House of Ashes fails to choose a specific direction to head throughout its entirety. With that, an incomplete blend of visual and psychological horror present themselves in unflattering fashion. Paired with the uninspiring and uneven performances, House of Ashes never finds balance and ultimately underachieves. 

Directed by Izzy Lee. 

Written by Steve Johanson & Izzy Lee. 

Starring Fayna Sanchez, Vincent Stalba, Mason Conrad, Lee Boxleitner, Laura Arden, etc. 

4/10 = WORTH WATCHING, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED