Originally released in Norway on March 4th, 2016 and set to premiere in the United States on March 5th, 2019, Huset, which translates to House in English, is a spine-tingling, Norwegian horror flick that will be sure to leave your brain rattled till the very end. Written and directed by Reinert Kiil, Huset manages to create an extensive amount of suspense and dread throughout the entire film, as a result of its incredibly somber soundtrack and captivating character portrayal. Along with the aforementioned, the help of some minor jump scares assists with the development of this film as a whole. Are you ready to dive deep into this house? Once you check in, rest assured that you would not be checking out any time soon.

In the opening shot of Norwegian territory, a blizzard is rapidly forming as the end of World War II approaches. Two German soldiers are rallied together in attempts to aid an injured comrade and closely monitor a Norwegian prisoner of war. Despite their efforts, the ally, Max, could not be saved in time. With the snowstorm aggressively picking up, the two soldiers take their captive, Rune, in search of a safe place to regroup and seek rescue. Unfortunately, the troop’s map and compass provided minimal assistance, which ultimately leads the group to wander aimlessly and stumble upon a vacant countryside house. Previously providing shelter for Norwegian militia – hence a raised flag of Norway – the lieutenant Jurgen Kreiner (Mats Reinhardt) and the German troop Andreas Fleiss (Frederik von Lüttichau) decide to overthrow the preexisting base and recover from the onset of hypothermia.

Throughout this film, it becomes apparent that this house holds a lot more secrets then what meets the naked eye. As the two men set about relaxing in this strangely abandoned building, they begin to encounter unfamiliar sights (e.g., shadows, delusions, lucid nightmares, etc.) and terrifying sounds (e.g., creaks, banging, music box turning on, and radio stations changing). In the forms of vivid hallucinations and flashbacks, the two men begin to spiral into a state of paranoia, as they attempt to discover the haunting behind this peculiar house. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the household is cursed and the men’s chances of escape and survival are beyond slim. Meanwhile, the challenges that the men faced come back to haunt them over-and-over again.

All in all, this film’s most notable moments stem from the character interactions and development between Lieutenant Jurgen Kreiner and the German soldier Andreas Fleiss. Depicting their roles precisely, Mats Reinhardt illustrated a stern and coordinated leader with a compassionate side; while Frederik von Lüttichau displayed a young, quick-tempered, witty, and resentful troop. In the beginning, both men seemed rather distant and unknowing of one another. However, later on in the film, they familiarize with each other’s background stories, as well as attempting to work together to find a way out of the mess, that they had originally walked in to.

Personally, if you are a fan of William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist, as well as films with distorted timelines then I would highly recommend this flick to you!

The House will be available March 5th on DVD and Digital HD, including iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Vudu and more.

The House (HUSET)
RATING: UR

The House – Trailer from artsploitation on Vimeo.

Runtime: 1hr. 28Mins.
Directed By:
Reinert Kiil
Written By:
Reinert Kiil

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