The Hanover House

Director - Corey Norman (Natal)
Starring - Brian Chamberlain (She Feast), Casey Turner (See Girl Run), and Anne Bobby (Nightbreed)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The house gets what it wants"
Format - Streaming (online screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     All horror fans have certain sub-genres they love, some they hate, and some they are just indifferent about.  Those that have seen my reviews know I have a soft spot for slashers and and pre-Walking Dead zombie flicks.  Those of you that follow me may also notice that I tend to avoid the psychological thrillers or horror flicks.  I don't avoid them because they are bad but because, in all honesty, I am a fucking idiot and never really get the story most of the time.  However, I will try to watch them especially if I am asked to review one.  That brings me to my review for The Hanover House directed by Corey Norman.  His short Natal was simply amazing so saying I was a little excited to see The Hanover House would be an understatement.  After waiting several months I was finally sent an online screener of the finished product.
      The film follows married couple Robert and Shannon Foster.  The two are expecting a child of their own but tragedy strikes when Robert receivs a phone call that his father passed away. He travels back home to his father's funeral only to remember why he left.  His mother chose his uncle over him and his father and in turn his uncle molests him.  After the funeral Robert and Shannon leave but they don't get far when Robert accidentally hits a young girl with his car.  He leaves Shannon behind to stay with the child as he rushes to the nearest home to phone for help.  However, once he is in the home things turn bleak and the home tries to break his sanity in an attempt to draw  blood.  Soon, his wife visits the home to search for him and the house does the same to her.  What follows has to be seen instead of read about.
     All filmmakers have their own style.  Some are more noticeable than others but if you study a film as thoroughly as I do then you will notice certain traits that most films have that is influenced by the filmmakers.  When I watched Corey Norman's short Natal I knew nothing of the film but my initial response of the film was that it was too slow.  However, soon after saying that the film picked up and hit me square in the face. The same can be said about Norman's new feature length film.  The Hanover House starts out at a snails pace which is almost painful to watch.  However, that is just my opinion because as I stated before, I am not really a fan of this specific sub-genre.  With all that being said, if you stick with the film it will surprise the shit out of you.  The acting in this film is phenomenal by the entire cast.  The two leads,  Chamberlain and Turner, are amazing.  The two really have great chemistry together and it will be a shame if we don't see them in more films together.  The story for this one is extremely fun once it picks up.  Like I said earlier, the film does start out slow but ends like a fucking shotgun blast to the face.  However, the story does remind me a lot of the original Amityville Horror.  I am a big fan of the original AH and this film reminds me a lot of that one.  Finally, the film does have some decent special effects but not as many kills as a gore hound like myself would prefer.  Instead, the film offers some great atmosphere and brooding suspense to really make this film enjoyable.  Overall, The Hanover House is a hard hitting thriller that has genuine scares and the right amount of tension.  Check it out and enjoy yourself!