The Haunting of the Murder House – Movie Review
Director: Brendan Rudnicki
Writer: Brendan Rudnicki, Kellan Rudnicki (Screenplay)
Cast
- Dylan DeVane
- Brent Downs
- Tyler Miller
- Kellan Rudnicki
- Sarah Tyson
Plot: In October, four filmmakers disappeared in a haunted house while live streaming on social media. A year later, their footage was found.
Runtime: 1 Hour 18 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Haunting of the Murder House starts when The Otherside paranormal investigators Harper (Tyson), Kai (Miller), Dylan (DeVane) and Kel (Rudnicki). Start their latest stream. This stream takes place inside a haunted house, one where an estranged killer was killed but his actions were never explained.
As the night unfolds, the team put together the ‘challenges’ that the viewers vote for. This sends the team down a path of no return. As the hauntings turn out to be real, not just another set-up piece they usually put together.
Verdict on The Haunting of the Murder House
Characters
Harper is the host and creator of The Otherside, she has put together the team of Kai and Kel. She believes she has a connection to the unexplained and wants to use the show to put that into the spotlight. Harper believes this will give her a chance to reach stardom in the paranormal activity world.
Kai and Kel have been in the team for years, as they have a smooth operation, with Kai joining on the inside, while Kel operates the streaming side. They work well as a team, using their previous experiences to keep Dylan the intern calm through the unexplained moments.
Performances
Sarah Tyson is the host of the streaming show, she brings the charisma in hosting, the calmness in the hauntings and the panic when things get out of hand. Tyler Miller and Dylan DeVane inside the home bring the fair share of scare reactions, while Kellan Rudnicki adds the commentary to the streaming side well.
Story
The story follows a paranormal investigating team that looks to complete the latest stream in an infamous murder home. They have always planned to have their own spins on what can be seen in the show, with this being no different until the scares become real.
Enter the found footage story concept, diving heavily into the idea that streamers are trying to grab fame in the hunt for paranormal activity. Pulling together a story that will deliver great scares along the way, without the characters ever reaching their desired success. It has almost become a genre in horror itself, one that works, and gives us good stories that rely on the shocks in the scares to keep us invested.
Themes
The Haunting of the Murder House is a found footage horror movie that relies on the mystery of an unexplained murder to drive the story forward. There are good scares, the ones you would come to expect in found footage movies. The mask the killer wears adds plenty to the fears people have and by the end, we get everything we needed for a scare-filled horror movie.
Final Thoughts – The Haunting of the Murder House is a great found-footage movie, with plenty of scares.
