"House Call" and Delivering a Better - Deadlier Revenge: A Short Film Review

*full disclosure: an online screener of this film was provided by Erik L. Wilson.

Director/writer: Erik L. Wilson.

Cast: Aimee Bello, Michael Jordan, Janet Gawrys, and Brad Egger.

Independent filmmaker, Erik L. Wilson, has put the wraps on his short, “House Call,” and it will eventually make its rounds at film festivals. In this tale of revenge, Janice’s (Aimee Bello) separation from her deadbeat husband, Dave (Brad Egger), does not go easy. She’s told him that she wants to separate and admits that she has been seeing someone else.

But there’s more to this film than about her managing a breakup. Dave is a wife-beater. There’s no doubt about that. But when considering how she dispatched one life so she can pursue another, Janice is going to get more than what she bargains for by deciding to keep the house.

Although Dave is “gone,” mother (Janet Gawrys) is still around, and that’s not good. She practices black magic, and that’s all that is needed to set this film in motion.

There are some slow wonderful moments of suspense when the anniversary of her husband’s death approaches. The new couple knows it, but they think nothing of it. When there are shots of a wicked old hag casting some kind of spell, the juxtaposition of her love for her son to the new love of a happy couple can only serve to show a darker meaning.

Viewers are led along in a Hitchcock style narrative, where they know more of what’s going on than the characters. The technique is effective, and when Steve looks like he is possessed, that’s where Jordan shines when he does his “Here’s Johnny!” moments. The prosthetic make-up effects are great, and the contact lenses he wears are what makes his possession scenes come alive. The fast edits help create some chilly moments when all hell breaks loose!

But even better is the realistic scenario of how the night’s events take place. A neighbour has taken notice to the noises going on at Janice’s home, and tries to call to find out if she’s all right. Just this one detail makes this product stand out. Had any other similarly designed movie involved good Samaritans hearing problems from down the street, the police would have arrived in no time.

This movie works for what it’s intended to do: to provide some fun thrills, and teach some people that revenge is indeed a dish best served cold. The morality lesson is in how to do it well.

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House Call on Facebook

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Posted in: 2011,movie review,revenge,revenge horror movie review,short film,short film review