An instant classic

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2014)

This is definitely one of the best horrors I've seen in ages. I loved the fact that it follows the classic horror movie formula, one which directors these days seem to be moving away from with all the 'torture porn' and 'found footage' films that have been so overdone lately, and it's a formula which genuinely works, hence why it's been followed so many times. The film felt like it was paying homage to older classics such as The Amityville Horror, The Exorcist etc. One of the best techniques used in the film has to the be the fact that you don't actually see anything scary for most of the film, it's just the threat of what it could be that scares the viewer – scary noises and doors opening by themselves seem to be enough to invoke absolute terror and suspense. The acting is top quality and captures the feel of the 70s really well. It felt like a really authentic account of events which supposedly took place in this house. The character development between the 2 couples in the film is really powerful and you really feel for all of them. There were some minor cheesy moments, but the rest of the film makes up for it and I didn't even mind them, in fact they added to the charm of the story and I felt like I was a kid again watching a horror movie for the first time. Such a treat for horror fans.