October may be over, but the thrillers keep coming. Written and Directed by Alex McAulay comes a new supernatural thriller, A House on the Bayou.

WHAT IS A HOUSE ON THE BAYOU ABOUT?

The film is the first of the eight genre movies being released from the Blumhouse-Epix straight-to-service deal. Starring Angela Sarafyan, Paul Schneider, Lia McHugh (The Eternals), Jacob Lofland, and Doug Van Liew (13 minutes), The House on the Bayou follows husband and wife, Jessica, and John Chambers, and their daughter Anna. The family goes on a vacation to an isolated house in the Louisiana bayou to reconnect. However, things don’t go as planned when unexpected visitors arrive and the weekend takes a sinister turn.

WHAT DOES AND DOESN’T WORK ABOUT THE FILM?

As a huge fan of Blumhouse films, I understand their films are on a spectrum of meh to fantastic. So, going in I wasn’t sure what to expect. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. With a mix of thriller, mystery, and the supernatural A House on the Bayou was wickedly entertaining. Sarafyan (Westworld) and Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl) did an excellent job as a husband and wife team trying to navigate their new normal. However, the stand out for me is Lofland (Justified). His peculiar, and menacing portrayal of the ringleader Isaac will stick with me for a long time. I wish I could go into more details, but I prefer to keep my reviews spoiler-free.

While the movie is fun to watch, it’s definitely made for streaming. The script can be hokey, and the film feels like it has multiple endings. I won’t be adding it to my must-watch list of thriller/horror viewing, but I think it’s worth a watch on a Friday night when you’re finished watching the rest of your stories. 

WHERE TO WATCH

A House on the Bayou premiers on November 19th, 2021 on EPIX and for digital purchase via Paramount Home Entertainment.

Make sure to check out That Hashtag Show for more reviews.