House of Grief: Grief in The Night House
After the death of a loved one, grief haunts us. If there is a possibility of that person reaching beyond the grave to comfort us supposedly, does that make it any less terrifying? Even more, what if that loved one was not who you thought they were. Grief can be processed and manifested in various ways, and The Night House aims to explore that. I do want to give a heads up about the piece since I will discuss spoilers and the topic of suicide.
Directed by David Bruckner and co-written by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, The Night House was released in 2021 to general audiences with a budget of over $15 million. It grossed over $15 million worldwide.
Following her husband Owen’s (Evan Jonigkeit) suicide, Beth (Rebecca Hall), a teacher, begins to experience paranormal occurrences in her house. After disclosing his suicide note, Beth mentions to a friend how years ago she was dead for a couple of minutes and saw “nothing” on the other side. She soon discovers a reversed copy of their house on the other side of the lake, photos of women that look like her on Owen’s phone, and other odd occurrences that her husband hid from her. However, she begins to suspect that the invisible presence in her house may not be Owen at all.
The Night House is not a traditional haunted house film. The ghost/presence that Beth experiences are more akin to an invisible force than the typical specter. It feels wholly unique and acts as an extension of Beth’s psyche. We cannot see the force but notice it due to its voice and her experiences. Her friends and neighbors believe she is going through grief and depression and does not accept her paranormal explanations. A seduction-like element with the force, persuading Beth to think that Owen is not entirely gone. The force tells Beth not to let go and fall into its arms.
During my watch, I kept thinking about the book House of Leaves when it pertains to the house itself. The book, which details a fictional documentary about an ever-changing home, has similarities to Beth’s and Owen’s house. The presence of the reversed version of the house defies reality because it is accessible at night or in one’s dreams. Similarly, the large amount of negative space can lead to feelings of exposure and vulnerability. How can you hide from a figure you cannot see that can always see you? A genuinely chilling moment occurs when she explores Owen’s workshop and notices a human-like silhouette of a figure from the column which turns to look at her. Bruckner populates the film with similar scares that leave you with feelings of unease. The house and the reverse house are just as scary as the force itself.
At the ending, it is revealed that the force is not Owen but rather a demon named Nothing, the thing Beth saw when she died and that Owen built the reverse house and killed the girls to trick it from getting Beth. She is pulled into the demon’s dimension and is transported on the boat in the middle of the lake and given a gun to commit suicide, mirroring Owen’s death. Ultimately she puts the gun down and leaves the boat for dry land in the real world guided by her friend. As she is being hugged, a shallow black-figure can be seen on the boat. There are no easy answers to the ending. Beth will have to deal with her grief and depression daily. It’s messy and mirrors real life. They do not simply go away instantly. However, she did take the first step forward.
The Night House greatly surprised me with its examination of grief. It does not aim to provide a clear-cut answer on the subject. The movie can read as the events are purely supernatural or Beth herself. The film handles the issue with a deft hand and allows the viewer to decide. This ambiguity can cheapen a movie, but it strengthens The Night House. Grief is ultimately a personal process. We all grieve differently and uniquely. I can see people disappointed with it not being a traditional haunted house story. As a result, the untraditional aspect and its swings make it hit harder if you are willing to go in with an open mind.
Thanks again for reading. You can keep with the blog and get updates by following it on Instagram @brantlewiswrites or by following/subscribing to it via Medium. With January coming to a close, I decided to coin next month “Found Footage February.” Going forward I want to center months around a theme so there is an element of consistency and similarity. I plan on writing on several found footage films involving both ghosts and other creatures/monsters. However, when it comes to Valentine’s Day, I will be covering two films centered around the holiday. As for the next article, I will be discussing Noroi: The Curse, a 2005 found footage horror film that is currently streaming on Shudder.
