Venezuelan mystery horror ‘The House at the End of Time’ has had plenty of success since its domestic release back in 2013 marking it as the most successful and highest grossing thriller to ever come out of the country. The movie itself has perhaps been a little shamelessly touted and marketed overseas as a straight forward horror thanks to some rather selective quotes and practically unrelated promotional cover art. Despite its overly desperate non-domestic marketing it’s very clear within the first half hour that this is more of a dramatic mystery thriller more so than just an all-out supernatural horror flick.
The movie marks the first feature effort from writer/director Alejandro Hidalgo who certainly has managed to expertly pull together an impressive concept along with a solid array of ideas, style and performances that have all helped to create this twisting tale of family and loss.
Ruddy Rodriguez plays Dulce, a mother who encounters supernatural apparitions in her house where she lives with her two young sons and her husband until a devastating prophecy is unleashed and her family are left dead. With no other suspects or witnesses Dulce is imprisoned for 30 years for the death of her family only to return home 3 decades later to try and unravel the mystery and tragedy that has haunted her ever since.
The movie draws you in and flip-flops back and forth to the past and the present as the mysteries begin to unravel. ‘The House at the End of Time’ is perhaps slightly hindered by its suggestive title which in many ways takes a lot away from the potential mysteries of the story. But the tale itself is still an intriguing enough one to keep you interested and invested and wondering just how exactly you’ll receive a suitable resolution.
The cast and characters are rich enough to take the main stage ahead of the unexplained events occurring in the family homestead which not only gives the film heart but which also helps stop it from simply trudging down that typically overstepped horror path.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Thankfully ‘The House at the End of Time’ has a satisfactory conclusion making sure that all aspects are tied together seamlessly and not leave the viewer frustrated in any way. The film is described as the first-ever horror film out of Venezuela which I’m sure has helped it greatly attain a larger global audience but don’t go in expecting a supernatural chiller because ‘The House…’ is so much more than that.
