THE DEEP HOUSE (2021)

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury
Cast: Camille Rowe, James Jagger, Eric Savin
Runtime: 1 hr 25 mins
Rating: NC16 (Horror and Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 18 November 2021

Synopsis: Tina (Camille Rowe) and Ben (James Jagger) are a couple of young youtubers specialized in underwater exploration videos. While diving in a remote French lake, they discover a house submerged in deep waters. What was initially a unique finding soon turns into a nightmare when they understand the house was the scene of atrocious crimes. Trapped, with their oxygen reserves falling dangerously, Tina and Ben realize the worst is yet to come: they are not alone in the house.

Movie Review:

Just as you thought you’ve seen enough haunted house movies, this French supernatural horror flick comes along. The 85 minute movie uses the all too familiar formula which you would have seen in other forgettable horror films. The protagonists are Ben and Tina, a couple (who happen to be always looking out for interesting content to post on YouTube) looking for infamous haunted houses so they can get their shot at becoming social media personalities. You won’t be surprised with what happens next – the pesky human beings get themselves into trouble with a haunted house, disturb beings from the other dimension, bring in numerous jump scares and undead creatures, before the scriptwriters decide whether they deserve to survive.

What gives this movie directed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury a twist is that the haunted house is fully submerged in the waters of a murky lake, and hence the title of the movie “The Deep House”.

When the characters first submerge into the water with their diving kit, we were pleasantly surprised and interested to see how things would go. The filmmakers cleverly created a setting where you would be greeted my cloudy waters, and all you would hear are muffled conversations through Ben and Tina’s diving apparatus. You are aware of the impending danger that their equipment may become faulty, or the fact that their oxygen supply may run out due to some unforeseen circumstances. Human beings should know better than to deal with haunted houses, and for these two, it is possible that they may meet their demise in a watery grave.

As Ben and Tina (played by James Jagger and Camille Rowe, two actors who most of us are probably unaware of) dive deeper into the water, they come face to face with the titular house. What comes to mind is how the filmmakers managed to build the relatively magnificent set, and how challenging the production process was, considering that the movie mainly takes place underwater. Then we enter into the house and see creepy décor, and jump scares are in the form of sea creatures instead of cats. We are still fairly invested in what’s going to happen as the film progresses.

When the story unveils the undead beings in the house, and begins to explain why they have been stuck in that state, you realise the movie probably has nothing else to offer except familiar horror clichés which are less than innovative. Murders, vengeance, curses – haven’t we seen them in other movie already?

At a runtime of less than one and a half hours, the movie was well paced initially before things became dreary and you get the expected story development where one character become possessed, and the other has to struggle for survival. That said, the thought that Ben and Tina are going through this ordeal underwater (with depleting oxygen, no less) is still haunting and something you do not want to go through in real life. And maybe that’s the most important lesson for all of us (after watching countless haunted house movies): do not mess with the supernatural, regardless of whether they exist on land or underwater.

Movie Rating:

(A formulaic horror movie that places its haunted house in an interesting location - the depths of a gloomy, murky lake)

Review by John Li