Copious amounts of scary movie makers are recruited by the largest media corporations in Hollywood to carry the torch for their money-making franchises. Their success should be celebrated because it’s a validation of the effective — and profitable — essence of their effort and production. Many of the new-wave auteurs responsible for the found-footage anthology leviathanV/H/Sare finally receiving their opportunity for advancements, likeAdam WingardwithGodzilla vs KongorMatt Bettinelli-OlpinandTyler GilletbringingScreamback to screens in 2022, but writer/director/producerDavid Brucknercontinues developing chilling, inventive, dramatic, and original horror movies. David Bruckner contributed the first segment onV/H/S, as well as a segment on the awesome cinematic anthology pictureSouthboundbefore he developed the psychological horror/monster movie hybridThe Ritualfor Netflix in 2017. He’s back with a new trippy ghost story that debuted to acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2020 calledThe Night House.
The Night Houseis a movie about a skeptical woman who believes her recently deceased husband is reaching out to her from beyond the grave. StarringRebecca Hall(Godzilla vs Kong) and written byBen CollinsandLuke Piotrowski(Super Dark Times),early reviewsofThe Night Housepaint it as a picture that subverts the typical jump-scare formula of paranormal horror with a superb performance by Hall.The Night House’s exploration of grief and pain in the wake of loss is hard to watch, and Hall’s contribution cannot be overstated, as emphasized by her executive producer’s credit. It’s heralded as an intelligent and engaging film currently sitting at84% on Rotten Tomatoes. The atmospheric tension and paranormal tone lend the film a comparison to another Rebecca Hall-fronted picture,The Awakening. While visually disparate, they share the cerebral, almost gothic interpretation of hauntings and ghosts tied to a central mystery driving the film. Searchlight Pictures, previously Fox Searchlight,acquired distribution rightstoThe Night Housefor around $12 million as one of the first acquisitions during the Sundance Film Festival in February 2020. The release date forThe Night Housesat in limbo before it was scheduled for a July 2021 release that got delayed to August 20th. For fans finally ready for their viewing, here’s how to watchThe Night House.
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Is ‘The Night House’ in Theaters?
The Night Houseopens for visitors on Friday, August 20 in select theaters. The unique ghost story opens alongsideNeil Blomkamp’s (District 9)Demonic,Lisa Joy’s (Westworld)Reminiscence, and the much less relatedPAW Patrol: The Movie.
With the COVID Delta variant spiking nationwide, please be sure to check in with the current CDC guidelines and your local safety mandates before booking your tickets.
Is ‘The Night House’ Streaming or Available on VOD?
No,The Night Houseis not going to be released for at-home rental or streaming alongside its theatrical release.
As a Searchlight Pictures release, we don’t have much precedent for how their theatrical releases are being handled during the pandemic era. Searchlight’s last film,Summer of Soul, went straight to streaming on Hulu, while their previous titlesNomadlandandThe Personal History of David Copperfieldboth had very distinct journeys to home video. Amidst its awards campaign,Nomadlandarrived on Hulu rather quickly, whileThe Personal History of David Copperfieldonly just arrived on HBO Max in May, seven months after it hit theaters.
Both films took several months to arrive on Digital and Blu-ray as well, so it looks like folks who would prefer to watchThe Night Houseat home will have to wait for the time being.
Other David Bruckner Movies Streaming
For more Bruckner brilliance, bingeCreepshowon Shudder, where he directed the episodes titled, “The Companion,” and “The Man in the Suitcase,” or check out his directorial features including a segment in the anthology horror pictureThe Signal(2007), a segment inV/H/Stitled, “Amateur Night,” and a segment inSouthboundtitled, “The Accident.” Absolutely don’t miss his full-length featureThe Ritualon Netflix. He’s currently filming a reboot ofClive Barker’s classicHellraiserwith Clive Barker himself, and frequent writing partners Collins, Piotrowski, the prodigiousDavid S.Goyer(The Dark Knight) — all of whom worked onThe Night Housetogether.
