Starring - Javier Escriva (Climax, Forbidden Love Game), Silvia Aguilar (Jaguar Lives!, The Night of the Werewolf), and Alida Valli (Suspiria, Eyes Without a Face)
Release Date - 1980
Genre - Horror
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I've slowly made my way through the Exorcismo to this point when I tossed in the 1980 horror film Aquella Casa en las Afueras which is in the set as That House in the Outskirts. This is a title that I knew absolutely nothing about but the title did absolutely nothing for me. I decided to look at the poster for this one before I hit play on it and was once again not impressed by it. I start to think this was going to be a lame ass movie with no imagination but I was wrong. It was a simple film that had a lot of tension that absolutely worked.
The film follows a woman who is expecting as she travels to a mansion her husband has rented on the outskirts of Spain. They plan on delivering the baby there but she is shocked when she realizes that the place he has rented was once an illegal clinic that was secretly performing abortions several years before where she had one prior to meeting her husband. To make matters worse, one of the residents of the mansion is the former assistant of the doctor that performed the abortions. Now, the expecting mother is forced to relive the experience while trying to stay calm during her pregnancy only for the former assistant, now suffering from schizophrenia, sends her late term pregnancy into madness.
I went into That House in the Outskirts expecting a generic and unforgettable but that was not the case. It was a well craft atmospheric horror thriller that had a simple story that was very effective. Honestly, I wish it had a catchier title and artwork that stirred your imagination because it really deserves your attention. The acting in this one is very consistent but very middle of the road. The entire cast is on the same page and deliver some solid performances but no one really delivers something memorable. The characters are very well written and fit the story very well but the performances are not near what I was expecting. The story for this one is very clever for what it is but it is somewhat on the goofy side. A man renting out a mansion for his wife to relax during the last leg of her pregnancy is kind of sweet. However, having this big spacious manor being the location of an illegal abortion clinic is a bit of a stretch. However, if you can look past this then you have a solid story with a bit uneven pacing. It's fun and I really appreciate the story for what it is. Finally, this one doesn't have any blood for genre fans to enjoy. The movie relies heavily on the story and character development over blood and guts. Overall, That House in the Outskirts is a great entry in the Exorcismo set. I loved the story and the characters but the acting is a bit lackluster, Regardless, it was a lot of fun. Check it out.
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