Directed by Jon Knautz [Other horror films: Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2007), The Shrine (2010), Goddess of Love (2015), The Cleaning Lady (2018)] & Trevor Matthews [Other horror films: N/A]
I’m not sure that Girlhouse really distinguishes itself that well from many other modern-day slashers, but I do think that this film has an okay amount going for it. Certainly if you’re a fan of slashers, and want something with a modern twist, I would say that this is worth checking out.
The plot isn’t exactly unheard of – a young woman in college moves into a house that streams onto the internet, so naturally, it catches plenty of carnal moments. Her character’s doing this for the money – her father recently died, and she wants to help out her mother, and if you’re an attractive young woman, what better way to make money than bare your flesh?
Honestly, while it’s probably not an intended point of the film, the movie does make me think about the pornography industry. I don’t have a problem with those who take that route to make coin – if you’re a sex worker in any capacity (OnlyFans, a prostitute, a call-girl, a sex phone line worker, etc.), then I only hope that you make what you deserve to make, that you’re safe, and, if you no longer want to work in the industry, you can safely get out.
Generally, I think it’s fair to say I’m sex-positive, and while I don’t exactly know where this movie’s message was coming from, I can say I wasn’t wild with the opening quote of the film, which seemed to present a correlation between pornography and violent crimes. As someone who does consume pornography, I just don’t think that’s fair. In fact, it reminds me of how some seem to correlate horror films and violence – I never bought into that one either.
There’s not that many important performances here, but I was going to mention a bunch of names anyway. The lead, Ali Cobrin (American Reunion), does a pretty good job. Honestly, given her role in American Reunion, it’s sort of nice to see her play a more serious character, and it was a solid performance. Adam DiMarco was likable enough, and Wesley MacInnes had some solid moments too.
The rapper Slaine did surprisingly decent as the killer, though it’s also fair to say that his role isn’t that expanded from what you’d expect from a slasher film. On a side-note, Slaine is one of those rappers I feel I should listen to – I enjoy some Ill Bill, Necro, and La Coka Nostra, so it may be worth seeking out, especially if “Can’t Go Home” – which played during the end credits – is a good indication of his music.
Of the six other young women who are in the house (Alice Hunter, Alyson Bath, Nicole Arianna Fox, Chasty Ballesteros, Elysia Rotaru, and Zuleyka Silver), while I feel it’s fair to say none of them got a lot of background, some still did decent. Alice Hunter seemed of good quality, and Alyson Bath (Evil Feed, Broil) seemed to have a slightly deeper character than expected. I don’t think Zuleyka Silver adds much to the film, but Chasty Ballesteros (One of Us, The Night Crew) and Nicole Arianna Fox (Circus Kane) were characters I’d have been interested in seeing more of.
Oh, and one last note on performances – at the beginning of the film, we’re shown an event that happened in the late 80’s that led Sloane’s character into the killer he becomes, and during this scene, we see Camren Bicondova (or Selena, from Gotham). When she first appeared, I knew I knew her face, but it didn’t hit me that it was Bicondova until I rewatched the scene. As it is, she’s only in the film for a handful of minutes, but it was nice seeing her.
The gore here is definitely solid, too. While it’s not a splatter film by any means, there are some grisly and gruesome scenes here – someone has all ten of their fingers hacked off (which as we see, makes it difficult to type), another is locked in a sauna at 200 degrees Fahrenheit – that character actually escapes, but then gets taken out by what looks like a mallet. Someone else gets suffocated with a dildo, which had class to it.
Oh, and someone’s head gets sawed off, so that’s also fun.
Overall, Girlhouse, while perhaps not special, is a pretty fun and well-made movie. Certainly it generally looked nice, and if you’re a slasher fan, I would certainly recommend giving this one a shot, though with the caveat that it may not be an entirely memorable experience.
7/10
Jiggy's Horror Corner 