{Fantastic Fest 2024} House of Spoils
At its core HOUSE OF SPOILS is a very traditional Halloween tale that would feel just as comfortable in a book of Edgar Allen Poe short stories as it does looking sharp and glossy on Amazon. Ostensibly the film uses a number of witch tropes fans of the genre will notice right away. What makes this film a bit different are the deeply moving performances and joy that plays a central role in the last act. Leading the strong ensemble cast is a break out performance from Ariana DeBose (I know she broke out long ago). She manages to capture the solitude of being a top chef and the emotional weight of being a historically prosecuted woman. If covens are in vogue than HOUSE OF SPOILS is Haute Cuisine.
Chef (Ariana DeBose) has carte blanche to create a menu for a destination restaurant, until a series of bizarre events derails a preview dinner for an important critic. With just two weeks to prove herself to her partner Andreas (Arian Moayed), she and sous chef Lucia (Barbie Ferreira) throw themselves into a frenzy of creativity, but Chef’s dreams are filled with images of a woman she believes once lived in the rambling farmhouse. Tormented by forces she can’t explain, Chef creates a tasting menu inspired by the funk of rotting vegetables and moldy fruit, a meal that both repulses and delights Andreas with its unexpected flavors and textures. As a sold-out opening night approaches, Chef becomes convinced that the malign spirit of a witch occupies the house. Both terrified and empowered, Chef may have transcended her own limitations — or been driven mad by the pressure.
We have seen a handful of fine dining genre films the last few years. Most notably The Menu a film I caught at Fantastic Fest a few years ago. The Menu was a high concept, high humor thriller that left audiences with mixed reviews. HOUSE OF SPOILS is much less of a high concept than The Menu and offers very little of its sardonic wit. The film’s tone is much more straight forward and as a result feels a bit less edgy but perhaps a bit more accessible.
HOUSE OF SPOILS also looks gorgeous as the film manages to capture the imagery of a witches cottage in the middle of the woods without it losing any of its realistic feel. It is The French Laundry by way of The Amityville Horror. Its a meal well worth the price tag.
DeBose is joy to watch which is important as she is in almost every shot in the movie. That being said I wanted some sort of edge to Ariana DeBose’s Chef. Who is she? Where does she come from? Like all executive chefs in pop culture I want to know where her drive comes from? What damaged her? DeBose’s eyes contain so much soul. They are just giant pools of emotion. They are giant cauldrons of feeling. She shines the best when we can see the swagger of her confidence with the new found menu. The movie sparkles with brilliance when DeBose comes alive.
The entire film manages to capture a lighthearted spookiness that makes it perfect for the season. This lightness manifests brilliantly early in the film as we get to see what happens when a classically trained chef must make due with what can be found at the local Price Chopper. It is the worst episode of Chopped set in Hill House. Shirley Jackson by way of Julia Child.
If I had any beef (LOL) with HOUSE OF SPOILS it would be that while DeBose shines throughout the movie she does so at the expense of the other cast. Barbie Ferreira as her sous chef is mostly left to wave her hands and act overwhelmed. Lucia is relatively one dimensional and proves over and over again that she is not up for the challenge. Ferreira has little to do in this movie and that feels a bit of a waste. I can’t help but wonder if HOUSE OF SPOILS would have felt more like a complete meal if it showcased a number of courses not just one.
Amazon is releasing just one scary movie for the spooky season. House of Spoils is set for release on October 3rd. Book your reservations now and don’t forget to ‘feed the soil’ before you do. I caught HOUSE OF SPOILS as part of Fantastic Fest 2024 coverage. You can catch it on Amazon this week.
Tyler has been the editor in chief of Signal Horizon since its conception. He is also the Director of Monsters 101 at Truman State University a class that pairs horror movie criticism with survival skills to help middle and high school students learn critical thinking. When he is not watching, teaching or thinking about horror he is the Director of Debate and Forensics at a high school in Kansas City, Missouri.