Fusing horrors of reality and supernatural intricately

His House

By Tharishi Hewavithanagamage

Netflix’s latest horror movie titled ‘His House,’ is British director Remi Weekes’s feature directorial debut. Written by Remi Weekes himself, with a story by Felicity Evans and Toby Venables, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. The director has taken the mainstream and over-familiar haunted house subgenre, but rejuvenates it. He combines fresh horrors, ones not normally discussed in this genre, with the old-fashioned tale of a haunting, and neatly oscillates between the two, making sure that the message he tries to convey isn’t lost. The film stars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Wunmi Mosaku, Matt Smith and Javier Botet, among others.

The film follows a young refugee couple, Bol (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) and Rial Majur (Wunmi Mosaku) who are forced to flee their home country of South Sudan due to violence. They attempt to cross the sea, along with many others in the night, however, an unfortunate accident at sea has them arriving in Britain, devastated by the loss of their daughter, Nyagak. The couple are released ‘on probation’ and granted a house in an unnamed English city, after spending an indefinite time in a detention center. The house although in shambles, is nevertheless their own and they are elated over the chance they’ve been given, to start their lives again. As they enthusiastically try to fit in to their new environment, things begin to take a dark turn, as they come to realize that they are not alone in their new house.

The film discusses so many significant aspects of the social dialogue on refugees, with the added elements of the supernatural. In the beginning the audience is given the impression that the house is actually haunted by an entity, just like any other horror movie. To start off the couple is already feeling the strains of having to cope with their dark past in Sudan, alongside having to adapt and survive in an alien country, that is apathetic at best and hostile at worst. The conditions imposed on them deprive them of having a normal life, and they are constantly mocked by both black and white British citizens, as shown to audiences by Weekes, with focus on the daily activities of the couple.

But Weekes also avoids leaning too much into caricature, and offers audiences Matt Smith’s character, as the empathetic housing officer. Weekes also uses Matt’s character to voice issues facing citizens themselves, pointing to the fact that their jobs have moved abroad and they too are fighting their own wars trying to earn money in their own country. The couple on the other hand, as protagonists of the story, are caught in a state of constant unrest. They dream about their experiences in Sudan and on the boat, and the more the dreams seem to come to life as they try to ‘fit in’ and be ‘the good ones’ in their new home.

Their flashbacks are what bring the pieces of the story together, and the film does not spend too much time thinking about whether everything is simply playing out in Bol’s mind alone, because Rial can also see and hear the ‘night witch’ or ‘apeth’ (brought to life by the talented Javier Botet), an entity that is a cornerstone of the Dinka people’s beliefs about witchcraft. Bol’s visions are far more visceral and visual while the witch converses with Rial. This spectral force stands as a symbol of the monstrosity of Bol’s actions, which the audience learn towards the end of the film.

The fact that Bol and Rial never had a daughter, but Bol in hopes of escaping their homeland, simply takes away Nyagak from her mother, and then fails to save her as she drowned in the ocean, is what draws in the ‘apeth’ to their home. While both Bol and Rial see the little girl, Rial is overwhelmed by the memories of her family. Weekes highlights that the haunting that takes place is tied not just to the grief over the death of the little girl, but the overwhelming weight of survivor’s guilt, over the ones that were lost along the way or left were behind.

Furthermore, the film plays out a fundamental theme of belonging, with Rial manifesting a sense of not belonging anywhere, while Bol tries hard to ‘fit in’ in the new community. He yearns to stay in England, hoping he’d never have to face the darkness of his past. He constantly tells Rial to speak English instead of her mother tongue, and even suggests using cutlery instead of eating their meals the traditional way. Bol is seen struggling, as his past and present often clash. The couple realizes that the more they run from their fears and refuse to accept their realities, the more mental and physical torment they are forced to undergo. The final scene, where they stand looking at the ghost of Nyagak and the house fills with the spirits of other refugees (from many different countries), is how Weekes shows their moment of acceptance.

Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Wunmi Mosaku as protagonists make excellent performances, acing both the technical and emotional roles they portray. Their ability to draw in and keep audiences engrossed throughout speaks volumes of their talent. Remi Weekes weaves and fuses the horrors of reality and the supernatural intricately. ‘His House’ is a unique horror movie all on its own, as it speaks of moments where the horrors of reality really outweigh those brought on by spirits. Weekes succeeds in putting all his effort into reinventing a gut-wrenching story with a powerful social message.