10 Slow Burn Horror Movies With An Underwhelming Pay Off
2. His House (2020)
While fleeing their war-torn home in South Sudan Bol (Sopé Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) tragically loose their daughter during the journey. They’re given a rundown house to stay in when they arrive in England, but the couple aren’t alone. The spirit of their daughter has followed them across the ocean.
Director Remi Weekes cranks up the tension with a selection of expertly crafted sequences until Bol reaches his breaking point. It’s here we’re hit with the bombshell that girl wasn’t their daughter; she was a child they kidnapped to secure their escape. Moreover, it’s a witch who’s punishing them for their actions.
With the stakes set at nerve-shredding levels, the final act of His House prepares us for the witch’s long-awaited arrival. Given the quality of the scares and design of the spirits thus far, viewer expectations are rightfully high. But when the witch appears with a design that’s forgettable generic, the immersion is broken just as quickly as Rial slices its throat before the horror has a chance to recover.
Despite an underwhelming climax, a bittersweet coda showing the couple are learning to live with the literal ghosts of their actions is enough to salvage this ending.