The Horror Show
Housesitters
by Jason Coffman
Housesitting can be a pretty cool gig. You get to lounge around on someone else's furniture, eat their food, and have some time to yourself. There is, however, a creepier edge to the concept. How well do you really know the owners? Do you know them at all? Is there any demonic activity going on in the home? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before such a venture. And these are the questions that should have been asked by the main characters in a new film I recently watched.
Housesitters Izzy (Jamie Jirak) and Angie (Annie Watkins) think they've landed the job of a lifetime. The place is beautiful as it is spacious, there's tons of fun activities around and the owner even left a credit card. Nothing could be better, and the two women live it up for a while. The one concerning note of the situation is the pentagram seemingly drawn in blood on the basement floor. The housesitters know of this early on, but decide the job is too good to pass up and they agree to just ignore it. As more friends stop by, things get more sinister and they all soon find themselves in danger.
The film is clearly made on a tight budget, but it makes the most of what it has with clever dialogue, fun kills, and even a monster puppet. Not every joke lands, but most did with me and I genuinely felt that the characters knew each other. The interactions were believable and witty, and I appreciate that. There are a few moments where things dwindle a bit and it feels like improv that isn't sure where it's going, but these moments are pretty minimal. Unfortunately, the ending is a time where I feel this is the case and the film runs out of steam in its final moments before just ending. The entire project has an episodic tone to it, however, so it's not as jarring as it may sound.
I had a good time watching Housesitters. I wouldn't be surprised if the director plans on doing more with the concept and I would definitely be interested in seeing what that might look like. I was never bored and found myself engaged and curious as to what was coming next consistently throughout the film's running time. So, I say give it a go. It's a quick film that leaves an impression and I'm glad I decided to check it out.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
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