The House on Pine Street (R)

A post on Instagram requesting suggestions for scary movies brought me to an indy film that I had never heard of. Film-making brothers Aaron and Austin Keeling, along with writer Natalie Jones, created  the 2015 film “The House on Pine Street” which was praised by fans for its scares, and just a few scenes in I was hooked too.

The Keeling brothers do a masterful job of creating a gripping horror story that never strays too far outside the realm of possibility. Its psychological nature depicts the simplicity of a haunted house, and the true artists inside them include a host of symbolism and ideas to make the viewer think for themselves as to what exactly is going on.

We open with Jennifer and Luke, a young couple who have left the big city of Chicago for the suburban streets of a small town in Kansas. Jennifer (Emily Goss) is 7 months pregnant and from the beginning its obvious she is terrified of the changes that a baby will bring to her life. Compounding the tension is the mysterious and open ended reason behind the couples move in the first place.

Goss does a super job in the leading role of Jennifer. A beautiful young woman who wears the mask of a happy life; faithful to her husband and joyous of the impending family she is about to be blessed with. Jennifer is alone in her fears of the supernatural as she experiences a multitude of strange things shorty after moving in, beginning with a less than normal looking realtor who advises that the house is old, but has “good bones.”

The film has plenty of scary things that occur to Jennifer – and Goss has the eyes and emotions to make for a perfect leading lady. I expect big things from her in the coming years.

The real star of the piece is the directors themselves, Aaron Keeling and Austin Keeling. Their uses of compelling tactics to tell a simple story create a perfect balance of horror and drama. Blending elements of “Paranormal Activity” and “The Shining” with a bit of the novel The House of Leaves as well. These facets work in a cohesive way to make “The House on Pine Street” a great horror movie.

The film has traditional scares along with unusual and off centered angles to add a feeling of malaise as the story progresses. One brilliant scene depicts a shot of Jennifer looking at herself in a mirror with her roust belly blocked by part of the reflection, and we see her desires for something other than motherhood. The score and sound by CJ Drumeller is perfect in complimenting but not taking away from the film.

As the story progresses, the viewer is left with the ambiguity of the events unfolding; is Jennifer just hallucinating the haunted house? Is her overbearing mother really a cold and callous shrew? Is husband Luke (Taylor Bottles) as perfect as he seems?

I will be the first to admit I’m often lost when watching an artsy independent film. To me, the value of a movie is derived from its entertainment value. I would rather sit through a simple but fun film than a confusing mess of symbolism and I’m So Much Smarter Than You concepts hidden by a hoity-toity director.

“The House on Pine Street” has these highbrow elements, but they are done in such a way that even the most film novice of viewers will enjoy them, while still benefiting from a great move.

As we sit 2 weeks from the 31 Days of Halloween, I urge you to check out “The House on Pine Street.” Its a great movie, and a perfect warm up to the horror movie season.

by – Matt Christopher