Film Review - House of Spoils
October 01, 2024
2020’s “Blow the Man Down” was a pleasant cinematic surprise released right before the world entered COVID-19 darkness. Writer/directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy pulled off a Coen Brothers tribute with the effort, pairing an evocative location with a unique crime story, and one filled with dimensional characters and outstanding performances. Their follow-up attempts to examine a different kind of violence, with “House of Spoils” offering a more psychological take on the pressure of performance, exploring the dangers of the culinary industry. Cole and Krudy hunt for a mysterious atmosphere of dark magic with the material, which touches on horror elements without really committing to the presence of evil, real or imagined, in full. A bigger idea is in play in “House of Spoils,” and the helmers struggle to land it, but there are positives to embrace here, including a nicely rattled lead performance from Ariana DeBose, who sells the air of unease Cole and Krudy occasionally fight to communicate. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
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