The Night House was released in 2021 and stars Rebecca Hall as Beth, a teacher whose husband has tragically died. While working through the early days of missing him, Beth starts noticing strange things happening in their beautiful house by the water, and she discovers something that she never could have predicted.

Yes, The Night House is scary, but the movie also has something intelligent to say about grief and loss, making it a must watch for anyone who misses a loved one or who has gone through a tough time.

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Horror movies can sometimes be about something serious and important, but heavy themes don't always lend themselves to a film that is both scary and smart. Jordan Peele is one filmmaker working today who is producing incredible work, whether it's the memorable setting of Us or the message of Get Out. The Night House feels like a haunted house horror movie in many ways, but it's also a story about grief, loss, and loving someone so much that keeping them safe, happy, and protected feels like the most important thing. As Beth tries to deal with the loss of her husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit) as school gets out for the year, she realizes that Owen knew something awful and dark that he never told her about.

Beth (Rebecca Hall) in The Night House

When Beth sees a house in the woods near her lake house she also notices a woman in there who seems to be her identical twin. This would be creepy enough, but there's also the fact that the house is a mirror image of Beth and Owen's home. Beth learns that a demon began following her around and Owen knew about it. He created an identical house hoping to trap the demon there, wanting to save Beth from harm. Unfortunately, now the demon is after Beth, and in a truly terrifying scene near the end of the film, Beth almost dies in the lake. Beth spends her time wondering what she's really seeing and wishing that she could have helped Owen, who struggled with his mental health.

It feels like the horrors that Beth is experiencing are all so she can understand her marriage better and figure out how to move forward without her husband, making this an excellent movie about grief, something that can be tough to talk about and even harder to show onscreen. While the movie does a good job showing that Beth is having trouble coping, she isn't lying in bed all day or refusing to talk to anyone. Beth plays an active role in investigating the weird house and also spends a lot of time talking to her best friend Claire (Sarah Goldberg), who is a strong character since she feels like a real, genuine person and not just a BFF trope.

While there are many great horror movies with death scenes, The Night House does something different. Beth isn't watching friends or relatives get killed by a ghostly force or by a serial killer. The film is definitely terrifying and it feels like anything could jump out at Beth at any time in her dark house. But the movie stands out from ghost stories and slashers because the terror that Beth is experiencing is tied to her marriage. Beth realizes that Owen was really struggling and that he wasn't sure that he could talk to her about what was going on, and she thinks hard about her relationship while figuring out what the other house is really about.

Beth (Rebecca Hall) and Claire (Sarah Goldberg) looking scared in The Night House

The Night House also excels in its portrayal of the close friendship between Beth and Claire. Claire wants to make sure that Beth is okay and is willing to do anything that she can to help her heal during this hard time. It's interesting to see a storyline like this in a scary movie that could focus on things going bump in the night and Beth seeing visions in her darkened house. Claire and Beth's friendship elevates The Night House above typical fare and in some ways, the movie joins other films about how great friendship is.

If Beth wasn't grieving Owen, the movie wouldn't feel as interesting. Sure, the identical house and women would be strange and creepy, and there could still be a smart and logical explanation for why this is happening. Beth is now living an emotional, waking nightmare and after a while, it seems like it's hard to tell what's daytime and what's nighttime for her. Ultimately, The Night House succeeds as a beautifully told horror story that looks visually great, as everyone wants to look at a pretty house on a lake for an entire movie. The film also shares a compassionate message about marriage, mental health, and moving forward after loss.

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