The Night House review: Rebecca Hall’s gripping performance is everything

The Night House is the latest supernatural horror to premiere in theaters. And there’s no better place to watch a horror than the big-screen. But though the thrills aren’t the greatest, it’s Rebecca Hall’s powerful performance that drive the movie and make it worth watching.

Rebecca Hall stars as Beth, a woman struggling to understand her husband Owen’s unexpected suicide. Owen never showed any signs of depression or problems. Soon after Owen’s death, Beth begins to experience nightmares and strange occurrences, forcing Beth to make disturbing discoveries about the man she thought she knew.

At first, Beth isn’t interested in answers. Instead, she doesn’t skip a beat, returning to school, where she’s a teacher, and attempting to resume her usual routine. Beth even stays in the home where Owen killed himself, refusing invitations from family and friends.

However, as Beth packs up Owen’s belongings to put away, she’s pulled into the mystery of his suicide.

Rebecca Hall’s The Night House performance is haunting and brilliant

The nightmares start off small, but they quickly escalate and feel too real to Beth. And that’s because they’re as real as they get! But what is this entity trying to tell Beth, if anything? And what are its intentions?

Just when you believe you know the truth, or where the story is going, a new mystery surfaces. Why does Owen have pictures of women who look just like Beth on his phone? Why are there records of two different floor plans of their home?

The secrets and twists keep coming from beginning to end, keeping audiences on their toes as they try to guess what is going on. Is this a cult? Is it all in Beth’s mind? At one point, the questions and mysteries become too much, but we’re still invested, and it’s all thanks to Hall.

It’s Hall who keeps viewers engaged with a gripping performance. The actress portrays emotions like no other, making us feel her pain and fear. Just as we begin to drift away from the story, Hall pulls us right back in.

Despite Beth’s fear, she isn’t hiding under the blankets. She’s challenging whatever is haunting her, and this entity is accepting the challenge.

The Night House also stars Sarah Goldberg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Evan Jonigkeit, Stacy Martin, and David Abeles. The movie is rated R for violence, disturbing images, language and some sexual references.

The Night House is in theaters on Aug. 20, 2021. Will you be watching it on the big-screen or wait for a streaming release?