The Beach House (2019 film)

Last updated
The Beach House
The Beach House (2019) poster.jpg
Promotional release poster
Directed byJeffrey A. Brown
Written byJeffrey A. Brown
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyOwen Levelle
Edited byAaron Crozier
Music byRoly Porter
Production
companies
  • Low Spark Films
  • Uncorked Productions
Distributed by Shudder
Release dates
  • September 14, 2019 (2019-09-14)(SEFFF)
  • July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)(United States)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Beach House is a 2019 American horror film written and directed by Jeffrey A. Brown in his feature directorial debut. It stars Liana Liberato and Noah Le Gros as a college-aged couple who take a vacation to a beach house, where they meet an older couple (Maryann Nagel and Jake Weber) and are threatened by a mysterious infection that spreads across the coast. [1] [2]

Contents

The Beach House had its world premiere at the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival in September 2019. [3] The film was made available for streaming on Shudder on July 9, 2020.

Plot

Emily and Randall arrive at Randall's parents' beach house in a remote vacation town. Upon their arrival, they are pleased to see that the town looks deserted. When they enter the house, Emily and Randall go upstairs and have sex and then have a small disagreement. They soon learn that another couple is already staying at the beach house—Mitch and Jane Turner, old friends of Randall's father. Jane is terminally ill, and Mitch hopes to give her one last happy vacation. Because the house has plenty of room, both couples decide to stay.

After dinner, Randall suggests they all share some edible marijuana which he brought with him, to which Jane and Mitch agree. While high, Mitch notices the strange water texture, and they all see glowing microbes covering the beach and trees. Jane leaves to see it up close but starts coughing after a while and gets disoriented when a strong fog starts to form around the area. After breathing in the fog, Emily becomes disoriented as well and passes out. She awakens to a sick Jane throwing up and goes to sleep. When she wakes up the next day, she finds a catatonic Jane sitting in the kitchen, covered in skin lesions, and Mitch missing.

Randall and Emily decide to go to the beach, which they are surprised to find is completely empty. After a while, Randall gets sick to his stomach and rushes back to the house. In the bathroom, he sees the water from the sink forming strange patterns; then, hearing Jane moan, he goes to help her. On the beach, Mitch suddenly appears. He muses that something about the area feels off, then tells Emily he is going for a swim; instead, he drowns himself. Panicked Emily steps on a washed up jellyfish. It stings her and Emily sees a worm-like creature crawling in an open wound. She manages to crawl up to the house and remove the worm. She finds a sickened Randall being pursued by Jane, who has milky white eyes and strange fluid leaking from her mouth. Managing to lock Jane in the house, Randall and Emily escape into the slowly thickening fog.

By nightfall, the fog covers the area and Randall has become even sicker. Emily discovers a police car with a radio inside, and she manages to contact someone. The person on the other end asks if "they have been exposed" and tells them to barricade themselves and to not breathe in the fog. They break into a house for shelter. They find that the water is now a completely different texture. When Emily turns on the TV she finds an Emergency Alert System on every channel and a radio broadcast reveals that the microbes, which were preserved in underwater rocks, had been released by global warming. Emily suggests they wait until morning, but Randall is scared of dying. Emily goes into the basement, finds oxygen tanks for scuba diving, and concludes they can use them to breathe in safe air. She also discovers a horribly mutated person feeding on a corpse.

Upstairs, she discovers Randall has succumbed to the infection and kills him. Finding the keys to a car, she drives away but becomes disoriented in the fog and crashes into a tree. She stumbles from the car into a puddle and lies there, breathing in the fog and hallucinating about the microbes in the water. The next morning, she lies on the beach, telling herself not to be scared as the infection completes its course. A wave engulfs her body, dragging her out to sea.

Cast

Music

The film's score was composed by British electronic musician Roly Porter. Known for his work with the influential dubsteb duo Vex'd and his unique approach to electronic music, Porter was invited onto the production by the filmmakers due to his fascination with space, science fiction and his atmospheric solo albums. [4]

Release

The Beach House had its world premiere at the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival on September 14, 2019. [3] In October 2019, the film was screened at the Sitges Film Festival. [5] That same month, Shudder acquired the distribution rights to the film. [6]

The film was made available for streaming on Shudder in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland on July 9, 2020. [7] [8] [9]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 81% based on 109 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "An intriguing and unsettling debut for writer-director Jeffrey A. Brown, The Beach House offers a delightfully grim getaway for fans of imaginative, ambitious horror." [10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [11]

Elisabeth Vincentelli of The New York Times wrote that, "after a dillydallying slow start, Brown ratchets up the tension efficiently, summoning a mix of gross-out body invasion, eco-mutation and large-scale cosmic dread on a small budget." [1] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars, writing: "Boasting sweaty, shaky camerawork and a firm grasp on tone, Brown's grisly indie horror flick is yet another piece of work that feels unexpectedly suited to our times." [12] Daniel Kurland of Bloody Disgusting gave the film a mostly positive review, calling it "a powerful, emotional throwback to '50s sci-fi" and "an atmospheric triumph from newcomer director Jeffrey A. Brown. He crafts a slick tale of invasion and destruction that's both intimate and cosmically grand." [2]

Michael Gingold of Rue Morgue wrote that, "With a modest budget and scope, Brown nonetheless elicits a sense of engulfing biological apocalypse". [13] Variety 's Dennis Harvey commended the film for its tone and "generally strong performances", calling it "skillful enough to satisfy most viewers, if not quite sufficiently original in concept or striking in execution to leave a lasting imprint." [9] Henry Stewart of Slant Magazine gave the film two out of four stars, criticizing its characterization: "The character drama becomes afterthought as it's superseded by action." [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liana Liberato</span> American actress (born 1995)

Liana Daine Liberato is an American actress. She played the younger version of the female lead in the 2014 film The Best of Me and starred in the drama films The Last Sin Eater (2007) and Trust (2010), the thriller films Trespass (2011) and Erased (2012), and the horrors Haunt (2013) and The Beach House (2019). In 2017, she was part of the ensemble cast of the drama Novitiate and in 2018 she starred in the comedy Banana Split.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Browning</span> Australian actress

Emily Jane Browning is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the television film The Echo of Thunder (1998), and subsequently appeared in television shows such as High Flyers (1999), Something in the Air (2000–2001), and Blue Heelers (2000–2002). Her breakthrough role was in the 2002 horror film Ghost Ship, which introduced her to a wider audience. In 2005, Browning won the Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Violet Baudelaire in the film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004).

<i>Livid</i> (film) 2011 French film

Livid is a 2011 French supernatural horror film written and directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo. It is their follow-up to the horror film Inside.

<i>V/H/S</i> 2012 American found footage horror anthology film

V/H/S is a 2012 American found footage horror anthology film and the first installment in the V/H/S franchise created by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting and produced by Miska and Roxanne Benjamin. It features a series of found footage shorts written and directed by Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and the filmmaking collective Radio Silence.

Etheria Film Night (aka Etheria Film Festival) is an annual Los Angeles–based genre film festival for new short films by women directors. Etheria Film Night was founded in 2014 by Heidi Honeycutt, Stacy Pippi Hammon, and Kayley Viteo, former Viscera Film Festival staff members. The festival screens a curated lineup of horror, science fiction, thriller, fantasy, dark comedy, and action short films and sometimes a feature film.

<i>Channel Zero</i> (TV series) American anthology horror TV series

Channel Zero is an American horror anthology television series created by Nick Antosca, who serves as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. The series was greenlit for two 6-episode, self-contained seasons, which aired in late 2016 and late 2017 on Syfy. The storylines for the series are based on popular creepypastas. On February 9, 2017, Syfy renewed the series for a third and fourth season.

Shudder is an American over-the-top subscription video on demand service featuring horror, thriller, and supernatural fiction titles, owned and operated by AMC Networks. The streaming service offers original films, TV series—such as Creepshow, based on the 1982 film same of the name—and documentary series. Shudder's library also features non-original programming, including well-known horror films, and annually airs a Halloween "Ghoul Log".

<i>Hell House LLC</i> 2015 American film

Hell House LLC is a 2015 American found-footage horror film written and directed by Stephen Cognetti and produced by Joe Bandelli. The film, shot as a documentary, follows a group of Halloween haunted house creators as they prepare for the 2009 opening of their popular haunted attraction, Hell House. Tragedy strikes on opening night when an unknown "malfunction" causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff. The film reveals the lead-up to the tragedy and what really went wrong that night, the details of which have remained a mystery to the public. The film was released on a number of video on-demand platforms, including Amazon Video, Shudder, YouTube, Vudu, and iTunes, on November 1, 2016.

<i>Summer of 84</i> 2018 film

Summer of 84 is a 2018 teen horror film directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell and written by Matt Leslie and Stephen J. Smith. The film stars Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Gruter-Andrew, Jason Gray-Stanford, Tiera Skovbye, and Rich Sommer.

<i>Tales from the Hood 2</i> 2018 film directed by Rusty Cundieff

Tales from the Hood 2 is a 2018 American horror comedy anthology film directed by Rusty Cundieff and Darin Scott and executive-produced by Spike Lee. The film is the sequel to Cundieff and Scott's 1995 horror anthology Tales from the Hood. The segments "Good Golly", "The Sacrifice", and "Robo Hell" were directed by Rusty Cundieff. The segments "The Medium" and "Date Night" were directed by Darin Scott.

<i>Blood Quantum</i> (film) 2019 Canadian horror film

Blood Quantum is a 2019 Canadian horror film written, directed, and edited by Jeff Barnaby and starring Michael Greyeyes, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Forrest Goodluck, Kiowa Gordon, Brandon Oakes, Olivia Scriven, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs, and Gary Farmer. The film depicts the effects of a zombie uprising on a First Nations reserve whose residents are immune to contracting the plague because of their indigenous heritage, but must still cope with the consequences of its effects on the world around them, including white refugees seeking shelter on the reserve.

<i>La Llorona</i> (2019 film) 2019 Guatemalan horror film by Jayro Bustamante.

La Llorona, also known as The Weeping Woman, is a 2019 Guatemalan horror film directed by Jayro Bustamante.

<i>Haunt</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods

Haunt is a 2019 American slasher film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The film stars Katie Stevens, Will Brittain, and Lauryn McClain. Set on a Halloween night, it follows a group of friends who encounter a haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears, unknowing that the performers have a murderous intent.

<i>Malignant</i> (2021 film) American supernatural horror film

Malignant is a 2021 American horror film directed by James Wan from a screenplay by Akela Cooper, based on a story by Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Cooper. The film stars Annabelle Wallis as a woman who begins to have visions of people being murdered, only to realize the events are happening in real life. Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, and Jacqueline McKenzie also star.

Shook is a 2021 American horror thriller film written and directed by Jennifer Harrington based on a story by Alesia Glidewell and Jennifer Harrington. It was produced by Tara L. Craig and Squid Farm Productions. Shook premiered on Shudder on February 18, 2021.

<i>The Banishing</i> 2020 British film

The Banishing is a 2020 British gothic horror film directed by Christopher Smith, starring Jessica Brown Findlay, John Heffernan, John Lynch and Sean Harris. It premiered at the Sitges Film Festival and London FrightFest Film Festival in October 2020, before being released digitally in the United Kingdom on 26 March 2021. The movie revolves around a haunted-house horror set in the lead up to World War II.

<i>V/H/S/85</i> 2023 film

V/H/S/85 is a 2023 found footage horror anthology film, and the sixth installment in the V/H/S franchise. The film features segments from David Bruckner, Scott Derrickson, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Kermani and Mike P. Nelson.

<i>The Outwaters</i> 2022 American horror film

The Outwaters is a 2022 American horror film written, directed by, and starring Robbie Banfitch. It is presented as found footage from memory cards belonging to a group of friends who venture into the Mojave Desert to shoot a music video, where they encounter mysterious and threatening phenomena.

<i>Influencer</i> (2022 film) 2022 American film

Influencer is a 2022 American psychological horror film directed by Kurtis David Harder, who co-wrote the movie with Tesh Guttikonda. It stars Emily Tennant, Cassandra Naud, Rory J. Saper and Sara Canning.

References

  1. 1 2 Vincentelli, Elisabeth (July 8, 2019). "'The Beach House' Review: No Fun Memories for These Vacationers". The New York Times . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kurland, Daniel (July 9, 2020). "[Review] 'The Beach House' is a Cosmic, Trippy Triumph That Will Bury You In Its Tide". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "The Beach House". Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  4. ↑ Reeves, Rachel (July 13, 2020). "[Exclusive Interview] Sun, Sand and Soundscapes: A Chat with The Beach House Composer Roly Porter". Nightmare on Film Street. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Beach House". Sitges Film Festival. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  6. ↑ Squires, John (October 23, 2019). "[Exclusive] Shudder Acquires Seaside Nightmare 'The Beach House' for 2020 Release". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  7. ↑ Mack, Andrew (June 27, 2020). "The Beach House Trailer: Cosmic Eco-Horror Coming to Shudder on July 9th". Screen Anarchy . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  8. ↑ Foutch, Haleigh (July 4, 2020). "'The Beach House' Trailer Reveals Shudder's Ooey-Gooey Lovecraftian Nightmare". Collider . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  9. 1 2 Harvey, Dennis (July 8, 2020). "'The Beach House': Film Review". Variety . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  10. ↑ "The Beach House (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  11. ↑ "The Beach House Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  12. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (July 9, 2020). "The Beach House movie review & film summary (2020)". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  13. ↑ Gingold, Michael (July 9, 2020). "Movie Review: An Eerie Visit to "The Beach House"". Rue Morgue . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  14. ↑ Stewart, Henry (July 6, 2020). "Review: The Beach House's Moodiness Is Dissipated by Shaky Characterization". Slant Magazine . Retrieved July 9, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.