Fear what you cannot see...

There’s nothing more classic than tales of haunted houses. They’re something that almost everyone can relate to. Line 20 people up in a row, and i’d wager that more than half of them can recall a spooky encounter in a presumably “haunted” location. An entire culture has boomed around paranormal investigation, and for every 20 people that believe, there are just as many skeptics. This battle of the supernatural vs. the practical is exactly what The House on Pine Street explores. It’s certainly not the first film that has taken on such a topic, but it frames a convincing narrative in a surprisingly effective way. The House on Pine Street gets the Haunted House sub-genre right in a lot of ways, but should you seek it out?

After an unexpected mental breakdown, seven month pregnant Jennifer Branigan reluctantly returns to her hometown in Kansas with her husband Luke for the arrival of their baby. Struggling to cope with fears of motherhood, a strained relationship with her husband and the presence of an overbearing mother, Meredith, Jennifer is losing control of her life. But what begins with objects moving behind her back and unexplained knocking sounds, soon escalates into something far more sinister and threatening. Jennifer fears the house is haunted – but alone in her convictions – she is forced to question her own sanity. Is she losing her mind, or is there a dark entity within the house that is all too real?

Aesthetically, everything is fine. There are moments where the film shows its budget with blown out highlights or noisy shadows, and there are even a few shots (especially in the trailer) that make things look a lot worse than they are – specifically when a scene focuses on a direct conversation. It doesn’t happen every time, but the truth is, the rest of the film is shot so well that it really stands out when these imperfections pop up. Because believe it or not, The House on Pine Street is responsible for some of the most genuine dread that I have felt in quite some time. Jennifer’s torment is almost constant, and it rarely feels forced or contrived. The ominous composition of detuned strings does wonders for building tension in a tasteful, but effective way. Seriously, there is some wince-inducing atmosphere in here. It’s impressive.

Of course the atmosphere is only as believable as the people that reside in it. And in that regard, The House on Pine Street is equally satisfying. While some supporting characters may not have the same pedigree as our leading men and women, it never feels less than believable. But the core group of Jennifer, Luke, and Meredith – they’re excellent. It’s rare that an indie project such as this exceeds on so many levels, but there’s always room for improvement.

Apart from the few cosmetic woes that the film suffers from now and again, it’s simply too long. At 1hr and 48min, we could easily trim 20 minutes away, and we’d get an even better movie as a result. As creepy as Jennifer’s encounters are, they just keep going. And when things reach a satisfying climax and the film fades to black… it comes back… and then it does it again. There are 3 endings in this film, and we should have stopped after the first. Although that would rob us from some truly excellent dialogue at the end, I’m sure that conversation could have been placed elsewhere and been every bit as impactful.

All that said, the pros far outweigh the cons on the this one. If you’re a fan of things that go bump in the night, The House on Pine Street is not to be missed. Thick atmosphere coupled with convincing performances sets the 2016 indie horror scene off to the start that it deserves.

The House on Pine Street is available on DVD February 1st courtesy of Second Sight.

The House on Pine Street Poster