Directed by Juliane Block and co-written by Block and Wolf-Peter Arand, the indie “The Curse of Hobbes House” is one part dysfunctional family drama, one part zombie thriller—but, regrettably, the film suffers from slow pacing, lack of redeemable players, and character development that really only gets going as the picture comes to a close. It features solid set pieces, pleasing cinematography, and, for the budget, decent effects. But the effort feels that it’s missing its heart—a disappointment after Block’s intricate and passionate “8 Remains” in 2018.
The basic story here is that a woman, Jane (Mhairi Calvey) is told to come to Hobbes House, finding out that her aunt (Emma Spurgin Hussey) has died and she needs to come to the residence for the reading of the Will. Joining her is Eurydice Saul, reading the Will, and Jane’s sister and her boyfriend Nigel (Makenna Guyler, Kevin Leslie). A caretaker from Syria, Naser (Waleed Elgadi) rounds out the cast. We quickly learn that the two sisters have profound resentment for each other, Nigel may have designs of his own, and Naser has a deep love for the place, the deceased aunt, and is up on Hobbes’ history. We’ve already seen the history, complete with old legends and an ‘undead force’ that will protect the house at all costs. The Will reader takes a break after the sisters present themselves to be entitled and selfish gold diggers—and the rest is history.
What works about “The Curse of Hobbes House” is the film’s setting, namely its eerie stately home, dim lighting, and set pieces, which are done to perfection. Block and director of photography Marcus Schwemin highlight the mansion’s intricacies well, evoking homages to many a haunted house film and 2019’s “Ready or Not.” There’s also the film’s cinematography and score, which highlight the proceedings, while also letting us know that the family dynamic is all but solid. While the participants may be in a huge mansion, it’s clearly too small for this lot.
There are also some additional elements which add necessary depth and eeriness to the proceedings, such as the film’s opening legend and the less-than-human way most of the others treat Naser. One of Nigel’s early interactions with him hints at dismissive interests, where his later treatment at the hands of the sisters—and Nigel in particular—is more overt and an in-you-face othering of the film’s immigrant character. I don’t believe this was any kind of intentional point the movie is trying to make, rather than the result of a bunch of rich kids treating ‘the help’ with utter disdain, à la a “Knives Out” motif, even if Nasar had a closer relationship with the late aunt than any of these three could ever hope to.
However, where “The Curse of Hobbes House” begins to fall apart is in its rendition of the “zombies” once they attack the house, and the internal turmoil amongst the two sisters and Nigel that really wasn’t overly interesting to watch. A good chunk of the movie takes place without the film’s supporting characters, which were, honestly, more engaging to watch. There is some catharsis for “Hobbes House’” main characters, albeit in the eleventh hour. This isn’t a criticism, or a dark mark on the film; I only wish that we could have seen more insight into the relationship between the two sisters early on, hinting at reconciliation, rather than its sudden 180° turn toward the film’s conclusion.
The film’s zombies are good for the budget. It’s nice to see Block and company, specifically costume designer Paula Hey, didn’t reach for the heavens, but made the creatures fit into the confines of the narrative. Note: in a few scenes, the deaths that some of these creatures exhibit can be somewhat gory, but “Hobbes House” is not a film that works to overly scare you. This may or may not be its true detriment.
At the end of the day, “The Curse of Hobbes House” tries. It has good cinematography, decent acting by the main cast, and good production and set design. Its CGI does nothing to take you out of the picture, but seems, rather, to be the point of the film, rather than a plot mechanism or jumping off point. The most disappointing aspect of the film is its characters, which unfortunately aren’t that interesting or easy to root for. The final five minutes hint at a deeper picture that may have been what the film’s focus should have been all along. The film is a motley crew of motifs that never seems to settle on any one. By making “Hobbes House” strictly a zombie film, a class picture, or a family drama, Block may have had more success. But the film will at least entertain, as long as you can get through some consistent pacing issues.
Where to watch: “The Curse of Hobbes House” can be watched in the United States on Prime Video, YouTube, Microsoft, Fandango Now, Vudu, and Direct TV. The film will be released in the United Kingdom in March, 2020.
