Summary
Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy are set to release their 2024 supernatural horror thriller titled House of Spoils. The movie depicts the psychologically haunting and chilling tale of an aspiring young chef trying to claim her dream restaurant located in a remote countryside estate – and how that turns into a nightmare.
This narrative showcases the life of Ariana DeBose as a strong-willed and gifted chef ready to walk away from her promising position under Chef Marcello, her ex-boss. He is a powerful, well-respected figure in the culinary world, who even went to the length of counter-offering her a whopping double salary. However, she has an even more powerful urge to gain her own culinary spirit, hence take the offer. She moves aestranged to a desolate town and claims residence in a rundown estate, set on turning it into a restaurant.
The restaurant she inherits is a far cry from the picturesque and elegant kitchens of fine dining restaurants. It is a dilapidated structure with a bug-ridden kitchen and a garden overrun with rabbits. The problems are instantaneous and overwhelming, and her burden to turn it into a celebrated dining destination is immense. Arian Moayed’s character, investor Andreas, has backed and funded her project, but with every passing day, is losing faith. Adding to the chaos of her sinking ship, Andreas is calling forishi es to be made, including bringing in his friend Lucia – Barb Ferreira– as teh sous-chef.
Throughout the chef’s strenuous efforts, the pressure keeps piling on. After the disappointing first tasting event that was meant to set off the entire project, her hopes are crushed. In the midst of this turmoil, she discovers a neglected section of the estate’s garden. Unlike any she had ever encountered before, the moved garden hides strange, mystical herbs that cast almost a magical spell. In a moment of desperation to gain the upper hand, she decides to add the garden’s undiscovered ingredients to her dishes which reignites her inspiration.
As she contemplates the new dishes for the menu, the strange atmosphere that surrounds the estate also changes. She has disturbing hallucinations and experiences strange occurrences. The unnerving feeling of being watched, along with intense whispers in the halls and shadowy figures lurking out of sight seems to be drowning her. The rumors about the estate’s previous owner, a woman infamously known for dark rituals, no longer feels like folklore but rather a disturbing reality.
The women’s relationships with Lucia has been improving and focuses on the few positives during the growing unrest. However, their attempts to fight the antagonistic forces haunting the estate does not go as planned. While preparing for the soft open intended to boost her standing and subdue her critics, disaster strikes. A fire breaks out in the kitchen, pandemonium ensues as the staff becomes more frantic, and an unfortunate guest has an extreme allergic reaction, possibly caused by secret herbs from the concealed garden.
When a restaurant’s future is collapsing in on itself, a chef must go to battle with the ghosts of the estate in an all-or-nothing showdown. What started as a culinary fantasy turns into a fight for life against not just the rest of the world, but also one’s demons of self-doubt, ambition, and obsession.
Cast and Crew
Every minute of House of Spoils is filled with tension and atmosphere due to the brilliant ensemble cast and creative team that has synergized to create a film that places the audience on the edge of their seat.
Ariana DeBose as The Chef
In the pivotal role, DeBose offers a powerful performance and seamlessly merges fragility with strength. She channels the energy of a woman who is set on determining her narrative even if it is at the cost of her sanity.
Barbie Ferreira as Lucia
Ferreira fleshes out the character of Lucia, the sous-chef who has an initial frosty dynamic with the lead only for it to later blossom into camaraderie and trust. She becomes vital to the protagonist’s fight against the estate’s destructive spirit.
Arian Moayed as Andreas
Moayed’s character, the investor of the restaurant, adds to the film’s tension by showcasing a character who blends business sharpness and personal fraility.
Marton Csokas as Marcello
Csokas portrays the chef’s former mentor with palpable intimidation and charm, embodying the cutthroat world she hopes to escape from.
Amara Karan as Hiral Sen
Karan plays a pivotal critical cuisine reviewer who, due to her restaurant’s prominence, shapes the future of the particular restaurant under review.
Mikkel Bratt Silset as Erik Haas
Silset rounds out the cast as a character involved in the operational side of the restaurant.
Gabriel Drake as Alvin
Drake’s role is fundamental in the narrative concerning the estate’s haunting past. He serves, even if unwittingly, as a precursor to the chef regarding the ominous heritage of the property.
The directing duo, Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, adds their vision to the film alongside their co-written script, which establishes the film’s atmospheric dread and psychological tension. In tandem with the direction, the screenplay captures the frantic universe of professional cooking intertwined with supernatural horror, expertly crafted by Cole and Krudy.
I would further center the discussion around the cinematography of the film which was done by Eric Lin. Lin encapsulates the constrictive kitchen’s intensity along with the expansive, and menacing beauty of the rural estate. With a haunting score which accentuates the most suspenseful moments of the film, composer Jim Williams enhances the feeling of discomfort. In addition, heated suspense throughout the film is achieved by tight pacing from editor Marc Vives.
Critical Reception
Upon release, Spoils of House received mixed reviews from critics. A majority praised the captivating performance of the lead portraying Ariana DeBose as she delivered a tense and surreal narrative with ease. Critics agreed along with the audience that the film’s greatest features came from the supernatural horror but more so within the portrayal of anxiety and the overbearing pressure of a new venture in the cutthroat world of haute-cuisine.
Finding the horror elements underdeveloped worked for some while others appreciated the lack of cheap jump scares. The unique approach to slowly build tension tackled many viewers, pleasing some craving a quicker pace and more direct frights. The blend of psychological and supernatural horror along with a grounded story of ambition and the fear of failure struck a chord with many viewers.
The dim lighting fostered a palpable sense of disquiet in the film’s production design and eerie cinematography, which drew appreciation. The critics noted that although House of Spoils does not fundamentally alter the concept of a haunted house, it cleverly reinvigorates the trope by placing it in the cutthroat world of high-end cooking competitions.
Conclusion
The film uniquely blends psychological drama and supernatural thrill, immersing the audience into the unraveling saga of House of Spoils. DeBose’s chilling portrayal accentuates the ambitious narrative that revolves around obsession, claiming success through suffocating a struggling restaurant, and a haunted estate.
The film is a spectacle for its supernatural slant, despite its muted acclaim. The strong character tension, overwhelming culinary ambition and ghostly undertones crafted a feeling of suspense unparalleled with any other. For others, this is a culinary roller-coaster; for bogged down conclusions, it promises subdued tension, lifting the oven’s lid on a slow burn of horror.
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