Open House - Willkommen in der Nachbarschaft

Open House funktioniert einfach als nette Familienangelegenheit, bei der das Ehepaar Anna Paquin/Stephen Moyer dem Film ihres Bruders Andrew Paquin zu den richtigen Stars für das Plakat verholfen hat. Aus einem anderen Blickwinkel betrachtet ist es in etwa so, wie verbal angedeutet hat. (15.12.2013)

The premise of an uninvited guest that settles down in a house without the inhabitants being aware of it sounds great – simple, minimalist, but great. It could be filled with incredible tension and atmosphere and the game of hide-and-seek could be stretched for almost half the film. So I was really disappointed when it ended after less than five minutes (!!!). Open House tragically abandons that premise and carries on as a hybrid of sub-genres that picks some elements from exploitation (the imprisonment of the original inhabitants) and something from slasher (the murder of “random” passer-bys). It should also be mentioned, though, that the film is very restrained – the imprisoned original inhabitants are quite comfortable (given the circumnstances, of course…) and the murders are very quick and don’t show much (so I don’t know where Ant got those rivers of blood). But it’s still a decently made horror thriller with decent performances that should not offend the fans of the genre. (18.07.2010)