| Havenhurst | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Andrew C. Erin |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Thomas Hencz |
| Edited by | Todd Zelin |
| Music by | tomandandy |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Brainstorm Media |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Havenhurst is a 2016 American horror film directed by Andrew C. Erin and starring Julie Benz, Fionnula Flanagan and Danielle Harris.
Jackie is a recovering alcoholic moving into Havenhurst, an old gothic apartment complex in New York City run by Eleanor Mudgett and her son Ezra, who serves as the building's maintenance man. Jackie is warned that she must remain sober while living there or she will be evicted.
Jackie begins looking for evidence about her friend, previous Havenhurst tenant Danielle, unaware that she was brutally murdered along with her addict boyfriend Jason after receiving an eviction notice. Jackie meets some of the building's residents, notably a young teen named Sarah, who lives with her foster parents Tammy, a waitress who works nights, and Wayne, an abusive alcoholic. She later hears a neighbor, Paula, being murdered because she returned to prostitution. Jackie reports the incident to a detective friend, Tim Crawford.
She discovers an incomplete map that Danielle created before her death. The map shows that the building is far larger than it appears, as it has several secret rooms. Sarah gives Jackie Danielle's camera, which contains film that Jackie develops. Sarah is later attacked by Wayne, who is abducted by Eleanor's other son Jed. Jed is a serial killer that has been using the secret rooms to hide his crimes. He is the one murdering those who have been served eviction notices. Tammy becomes one of Jed's victims. After discovering their apartment covered in blood, Jackie tries to show Tim the apartment as proof, only for it to have been cleaned prior to his arrival. She decides to start drinking in order to receive an eviction notice and discover the building's secrets.
Jackie and Sarah, who is now living with her, discover a secret passage in the laundry room that leads to a room containing records showing that Eleanor and her children are descendants of serial killer H. H. Holmes and have inherited his murderous disposition. They are discovered by the murderous family and chased throughout the building, unable to leave. Jackie calls Tim for help but Sarah is captured. She manages to rescue Sarah and help her escape the building but is captured herself and presumably murdered.
Tim arrives shortly after with several police officers but is unable to do anything as there is no visible evidence that the disappearances are sinister in nature. Eleanor convinces Sarah to join her family (with all that entails), and Sarah agrees.
Havenhurst was filmed from 28 April 2014 - 31 May 2014. [1] The first trailer was released on February 24, 2016. [2]
The name "Havenhurst" was chosen because of it features two uses of the letter H, similar to H.H. Holmes, who is featured in the film. Two days of filming occurred in New York City, with the rest taking place in Los Angeles. Buildings in New York's Tudor City were used as the Havenhurst exterior. The film's practical effects were created by the companies VGP Effects and Crafty Apes. [3]
On December 16, 2016, it was confirmed that the film would open in limited release across New York City and Los Angeles on February 10, 2017. [4]
The film was screened at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival. [5]
The film drew mixed reviews. As of January 2021 [update] , 27% of the eleven reviews compiled on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, with an average rating of 4.25/10. [6] Variety awarded Havenhurst a marginally positive review, saying "a decent cast, brisk pace and proficient overall packaging make Havenhurst a respectable enough diversion within a niche." [7] Dread Central awarded it a score of 7 out of 10, saying "the location, complemented by spooky cinematography (Thomas Hencz) and a score (tomandandy) that sizzles with suspense, is what really sells it." [8]
Writing for The Los Angeles Times, Kimberly Byers gave the film a mostly negative review, stating "Havenhurst never has as much fun with its premise as it should, and it peaks before its final scenes. A reveal about the nature of the building and its violence works initially, but is never fully explored," and added, " There are some truly disgusting kills." [9] That sentiment was echoed by Frank Scheck in The Hollywood Reporter, who dismissed the film as "Low-rent horror in a high-rent setting," and added, "The film’s technical elements are first-rate, including the production design and cinematography that evocatively convey the creepiness of the setting, and the tense musical score by the veteran film-scoring duo known as tomandandy. But despite the strong efforts of everyone involved, Havenhurst proves all too unimaginative in its formulaic recycling of genre tropes." [10]
Julie Benz is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (1997–2004), and as Rita Bennett on Dexter (2006–2010), for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress and the 2009 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Malice is a 1993 American neo-noir thriller film directed by Harold Becker, written by Aaron Sorkin and Scott Frank, and starring Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman, Anne Bancroft and George C. Scott. Adapted from a story by Jonas McCord, the plot follows Andy and Tracy Safian, a newlywed couple whose lives are upturned after they rent part of their Victorian home to Jed, a cavalier surgeon; things are further complicated when he removes Tracy's ovaries during an emergency surgery to save her life. The film features supporting performances from Bebe Neuwirth, Peter Gallagher, and Tobin Bell, with minor appearances from Gwyneth Paltrow and Brenda Strong.
Little Children is a 2006 American romantic psychological drama film directed by Todd Field. It is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta, who co-wrote the screenplay with Field. It follows Sarah Pierce, an unhappy housewife who has an affair with a married neighbor. Also starring are Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, Noah Emmerich, Gregg Edelman, Phyllis Somerville and Will Lyman.
House of the Dead 2 is a 2005 American action horror film and a sequel to the 2003 horror film House of the Dead. It is based on the video game series of the same name and the 1996 video game. The film was directed by Michael Hurst. It premiered at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain on October 14, 2005, and premiered in the United States on the Sci Fi Channel on February 11, 2006.
Waking Ned is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Kirk Jones and starring Ian Bannen, David Kelly, and Fionnula Flanagan. Kelly was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role as Michael O'Sullivan. The story is set in Ireland but was filmed on the nearby Isle of Man.
Mad at the Moon is a 1992 American Western-romantic horror film co-written and directed by Martin Donovan. It stars Mary Stuart Masterson, Hart Bochner and Fionnula Flanagan.
Walled In is a Canadian-made 2009 horror-thriller directed and co-written by Gilles Paquet-Brenner and starring Mischa Barton, Cameron Bright, and Deborah Kara Unger. The film is based on the best-selling French novel Les Emmurés by Serge Brussolo. It is Paquet-Brenner's English-language film debut.
Cassadaga is a 2011 American independent horror thriller film directed by Anthony DiBlasi. The screenplay is the feature-length debut for co-writers Bruce Wood and Scott Poiley. The film stars Kelen Coleman, Kevin Alejandro, Louise Fletcher, Rus Blackwell, Hank Stone, J Larose, Amy LoCiero and Christina Bach.
Come Back to Me is a 2014 psychological horror film directed and written by Paul Leyden. It stars Katie Walder and Matt Passmore as a married couple who experience unexplained night terrors after a new neighbor moves in across the street. It is based on The Resurrectionist by Wrath James White.
The Last Exorcism Part II is a 2013 American supernatural horror film co-written and directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly. It stars Ashley Bell, Julia Garner, Spencer Treat Clark, and Louis Herthum. It is a sequel to The Last Exorcism, and was released on March 1, 2013. The film follows Nell Sweetzer as she attempts to recover from her past experiences and start her life anew. Nell then starts to realize that the demon that previously possessed her has come back for her. Unlike its predecessor, it is not presented in a found footage format.
Out of the Dark is a 2014 English-language supernatural thriller film starring Julia Stiles, Scott Speedman, and Stephen Rea. The independent Spanish-Colombian co-production is directed by Lluís Quílez based on a screenplay by Alex Pastor, David Pastor, and Javier Gullón. Filming took place in Colombia between April 2013 and July 2013, after which it entered post-production. The film premiered at Germany's Fantasy Filmfest on August 27, 2014.
A Good Marriage is a 2014 American psychological thriller film based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King, from the 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars. It stars Joan Allen, Anthony LaPaglia, Kristen Connolly and Stephen Lang. It was released on October 3, 2014.
The Scribbler is a 2014 American science fiction thriller film directed by John Suits and written by Daniel Schaffer, based on his own graphic novel of same name. The film stars Katie Cassidy, Garret Dillahunt, Eliza Dushku, Kunal Nayyar, Michelle Trachtenberg and Sasha Grey.
The Taking of Deborah Logan is a 2014 American found footage supernatural horror film, which serves as the feature film directorial debut of Adam Robitel, who co-wrote the screenplay and edited the film with Gavin Heffernan. The film stars Jill Larson, Anne Ramsay and Michelle Ang. Set in Virginia, it tells the story of a documentary crew making a film about Alzheimer's patients who uncover something sinister while documenting a woman who has the disease. The film was produced by Jeff Rice and Bryan Singer and was released on October 21, 2014.
Girl House is a 2014 Canadian horror slasher film directed by Trevor Matthews and written by Nick Gordon. It stars Ali Cobrin playing a woman in an X-rated reality web series and Slaine as the psychopath who stalks her.
The Curse of Sleeping Beauty is a 2016 American fantasy horror film directed by Pearry Reginald Teo and written by Teo alongside Josh Nadler. The film stars Ethan Peck, India Eisley and Natalie Hall. It is based on a comic book of the same name by Everette Hartsoe and the story Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault.
Hangman is a 2017 American crime thriller film directed by Johnny Martin and written by Charles Huttinger and Michael Caissie. The film stars Al Pacino, Karl Urban, Joe Anderson, Sarah Shahi, and Brittany Snow. The film follows a detective who tries to track down a serial killer who bases his murders on Hangman, the children's guessing game. It was released on December 22, 2017, and was panned by critics.
House on Willow Street is a 2016 South African supernatural horror film written by Jonathan Jordaan and Alistair Orr and directed by Orr. It stars Sharni Vinson, Steven Ward, Zino Ventura, and Gustav Gerderner as kidnappers who take a young girl, played by Carlyn Burchell. It premiered at the London FrightFest Film Festival.
Darkness Rising is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Austin Reading.
What Keeps You Alive is a 2018 Canadian psychological horror film written and directed by Colin Minihan. It stars Hannah Emily Anderson and Brittany Allen and follows a young woman fighting for her life as her wife's murderous intentions become evident.