House of Wax

Jaume Collet-Serra
2005

This film got a nice shot of hype due to Paris Hilton's shameless supporting role, but I think this kind of buzz may have negatively effected the film's release. Hilton's complete inability to act, coupled with her kitten-in-a-box level of cluelessness and exploited sexuality are genuinely cringe worthy - but enough with the all too easy dead-horse-beating that is Paris bashing - "House of Wax" is a surprisingly satisfying and genuinely rewarding horror movie.

The setup is straight stock - teens on the road in a rural area get massacred by completely nutzo locals. In this case the teens are on their way to a big football game and the wackjobs in question are twin brothers: one with a sadistic yen for "creative surgery," and the other, a talented wax-sculpture artist, who uses live unfortunates for models. Most of the action takes place in a classically desolate, creepy small-town complete with a wax museum literally made of the stuff.

There's some really good and creative slasher type violence here complemented by competent effects and makeups. The visceral horror elements are surprisingly hardcore and include but are not limited to: a finger severed with tinsnips, live third degree burn victims encased in wax, and an epically disgusting road kill pit that is brought so faithfully to the screen that it is physically nauseating to watch. Along with the stylized violence there's also a nice plot and story line that feels a little similar to Alexander Aja's remake of "The Hills Have Eyes." The complex backstory combination of mother-love, siamese twins, and macabre ghost town could easily become cheap sensationalism, or empty posturing, but is instead controlled and tamed to create a fine genre film.

On the downside, all the characters with the exception of the end survivors are dull and generally unsympathetic. There's also a lot of down time taken for exposition before the film kicks into gear, which feels like unnecessary dead air considering how unappealing these kids are. Also the quasi twist-ending, leaving the possibility of a sequel, seems like crass justification for a weak and underused plot point wasted earlier in the film.

The apocalyptic "Usher's House" climax is definitely worth a viewing. Its also important to note that this is not a remake of the 1953 Vincent Price movie of the same name. There's a few influences and references here and there but for the most part this is a completely different animal. Its a highly recommended film especially because I doubt many people have actually seen it.


Review by Brett A. Scieszka