The Open House

The Open House is a 2018 horror movie directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote. The film stars Dylan Minnette, Piercey Dalton, and Patricia Bethune in the lead roles. The plot revolves around a mother and son who move into a relative's vacation home after a tragedy, only to find themselves at the mercy of an unknown villain.

The movie opens with Logan Wallace (Dylan Minnette) and his mother, Naomi (Piercey Dalton), arriving at a remote mountain house that belongs to Naomi's sister. The duo is trying to get over the death of Logan's father, who was killed in a car accident. The house is part of a gated community that is mostly empty during the off-season, and Logan and Naomi are staying there until they get back on their feet.

Logan is struggling with his father's death and feels disconnected from his mother, who is distant and uncommunicative. Naomi, on the other hand, is dealing with her grief by drinking heavily and sleeping most of the day. Logan spends his days exploring the woods around the house and befriending a girl named Ashley (Sharif Atkins). Ashley is a man who owns a general store near the house and becomes Logan's confidante.

The first night in the house, Logan hears strange noises and discovers that the house's front door is unlocked. He assumes his mother left it unlocked but later discovers it was not her. They ignore the incident, believing it was the realtor who forgot to lock the door.

However, things become increasingly eerie as several more bizarre events happen. They begin to notice that some of their items are missing, and the garage door keeps opening on its own. One day, they find someone has left muddy footprints all over the house. Logan also starts experiencing nightmares about a man in a mask, who seems to be watching him from the woods.

As they try to ignore these strange happenings, the tension starts to build between Logan and Naomi, who seem to be hiding something from each other. The movie then takes a turn towards horror as the intruder becomes more violent and aggressive. The stranger starts toying with them, leaving alarming messages and taunting them through the house's intercom system.

Logan and Naomi become increasingly paranoid as the events start to escalate. They are unable to leave the house because their car has been vandalized, and they do not have any other options. The events become straight-up terrifying as the intrusion reaches a violent climax in what is a heart-pumping and suspenseful scene.

In conclusion, The Open House is a well-constructed horror movie that builds the tension slowly before hitting with an emotionally charged climax. Dylan Minnette and Piercey Dalton deliver excellent performances as a mother and son struggling to hold onto their sanity. Patricia Bethune appears in a minor role as Martha, a nosy and creepy neighbor who adds to the growing sense of unease. The movie has a few jump scares, but it relies more on the characters and their relationships to drive the horror. Fans of psychological horror movies will appreciate the suspense and unnerving atmosphere created in this movie.