His House

First time feature director Remi Weekes tackles Sudanese refugees in England, grief, and vengeful spirits, in a manner slightly reminiscent of Babak Anvari’s UNDER THE SHADOW. A couple is granted temporary refuge after making the harrowing trip by boat to escape war-torn Sudan, eventually ending up in England. During the journey over, they faced unspeakable tragedy, and now they must endure the somewhat careless treatment of the British immigration system in the hopes being granted full refugee status and a chance to start their lives over. Bol Majur thinks perhaps their luck has changed, when they are given a home of their own to temporarily live in — one that is larger than expected. Granted, it has been left filthy and in disrepair, with trash all over the yard, and neighbors who give them a wide berth. Almost immediately, it becomes clear that Bol and his wife Rial don’t just face hostility outside the walls of their new home, but inside as well. Each night brings visceral terrors, as evil may have followed them over from their old country. Strangely enough, the haunting of their home seems to be tied to the tragedy that they faced on the journey over, that puts the two at odds with one another. While they struggle with their opposing views of the situation, and the horror mounts, the script cleverly sidesteps one of the biggest downfalls of many horror films: why don’t they just leave the situation? Bureaucracy has tied them to this home, and to leave would be to forfeit their plea for refuge. Not that Bol doesn’t try, but he can’t quite put into words that he wants to leave the house because it is haunted. HIS HOUSE is a clever merging of a traditional haunted house story, with the difficult plight of immigrants seeking refuge. It also amps up the fear factor a bit over the previous two, but there was something lacking, that I can’t quite put my finger on. 3 cats