Bullet proof ::: 2022

House of Darkness is a 2022 American comedy horror film directed by Neil LaBute, starring Justin Long, Kate Bosworth, Gia Crovatin and Lucy Walters. The film is a reimagining of Dracula

Plot

After meeting at a bar, Hap Jackson goes back to Mina Murray’s remote, castle-like estate. While Mina is out of the room fixing drinks, Hap calls a male friend to brag about his hookup. Following an evening of drinking, kissing, and couched conversation, Mina begins unbuckling Hap’s pants. Mina’s sister Lucy unexpectedly interrupts. Hap gets the idea that he might have a threesome with both women. Mina exits the room to get more drinks. Hap and Lucy have a private conversation.

Hap briefly falls asleep. Hap has a nightmare where he is imprisoned in a subterranean cave with a pile of shoes indicating he is another in a long line of victims. After he wakes, Lucy takes Hap on a tour of the manor. Mina eventually rejoins them and they return to the sitting room. Lucy and Mina propose exchanging ghost stories. Hap adlibs a glib story about a man who has a threesome with two sisters.

Lucy responds by telling a tale of wronged women who sought vengeance on men who raped them and who continue pursuing sexual predators across the world. Hap becomes further disturbed when Lucy mentions a cave like the one he saw in his nightmare. A third sister, Nora, enters the room. Realizing the women intend to teach him a morality lesson, Hap becomes combative and tries to leave. Revealing they are vampires, Mina, Lucy, and Nora use their supernatural powers to tear apart Hap with their fangs.

Cast

Justin Long as Hap Jackson
Kate Bosworth as Mina Murray
Gia Crovatin as Lucy
Lucy Walters as Nora

Release

The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on 8 March 2022. The film had its international premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on 22 July. The film premiered in select theatres on 9 September 2022, and will be released on Video on Demand and digital on 13 September.

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 60%, with an average rating of 5.90/10, based on 57 reviews. The site's critics consensus reads: "House of Darkness finds writer-director Neil LaBute just as acerbic as ever, although he's made more compelling statements on sexual mores." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Josh Korngut of Dread Central rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5, writing that it "manages to make a home of its own within a well-worn horror subgenre with originality, tension, and charm." Joe Lipsett of Bloody Disgusting rated the film a 4 out of 5, writing that "The interplay of these two main performances – both sexually and linguistically – ensures that House of Darkness is never boring."

Peter DeBruge of Variety wrote a positive review of the film, writing that it "neatly comments on the newly uncertain dynamics of modern dating, where “decent guys” claim to no longer know how to proceed". Nikki Baughan of Screen Daily wrote a positive review of the film, writing that "it’s always welcome to see filmmakers presenting a challenge to the patriarchal status quo, even if toxic femininity proves just as damning here as its masculine counterpart."

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