User reviews

The movie is well done, cinematography, acting, dialogues. The story contains something that's pretty out there and is at times hard to watch. I'm a chef myself, but I'm critical when it comes to fine and "haute cuisine". The main element of the cooking I find inspiring, but like I mentioned, it's hard to watch in context of the basis of the story. What I also liked was the ending but not in the sense of how it all turned out. I mean rather the scene/picture of the snobby guests sitting together with all cooks and employees outside at the fire. This scene alone could be an inspiration for a complete different story/movie, no matter which genre.

Unfortunately it's not enough for me to give it more than an average rating / 5 out of 10 stars. When I give 5 stars it means I made it to the end without getting bored. Not sure I would recommend it to friends or thus to anyone. Simply because there's just not enough in it. Better watch "The Menu" instead, if you haven't already.

Sure, it's not the best horror-thriller ever, but I was still reasonably entertained, at least till the (slightly deflative) end. The premise of an ambitious cook trying to create her own restaurant in an isolated and dilapidated mansion is pretty original for a horror, the atmosphere is pleasantly creepy, and for the first hour the mounting pressure on the chef (Ariana DeBose) to perform, while more and more strange and inexplicable happenings are undermining her confidence and sanity, kept me curious about what to expect next.

But after we were confronted with the shimmering ghost of the former owner, who was apparently a woman interested in natural ingredients but considered by the locals to be a witch, the story rapidly lost its focus. The chills and scares lessened, the ghost got hardly any background; and the chef turning rather abruptly raving mad, but still capable of totally impromptu creating her best dinner-menu ever, was really too far of a stretch.

Ariana DeBose nevertheless gave a strong performance as the at first firm and resolute, but gradually mentally overwrought chef, and Arian Moayed did a great job too as her relentless, opportunistic financial back-up. The photography is fine, and there's even some social criticism discernible at posh and hedonistic restaurant-visitors who revel over exotic flavors, as well as a hint to better appreciation of the use of natural ingredients and nature in general. But the rough way in which the chef seizes, kills and roasts a poor rabbit to make it the height of her prize-dinner seemed to me totally out of character with this supposed love of nature.

It seems strange this film is categorised as a horror film. Suspense or mystery would be more suitable genres to describe it, as there are very few scary scenes (possibly just 3) and they are not very scary. Most of the plot revolves around a chef trying to succeed in her profession. There is a lot of cooking, so the end result is more hunger than horror.

One main issue is that this movie is extremely slow. Every single action and dialogue takes much more time than it should. The reason behind that is that there was not enough material in the plot to create a whole film. This story should have taken 20 or 30 minutes to tell.

Even though it seems slow-paced, this films keeps you engaged enough to keep watching. And that is probably the main problem, I wish I had given up sooner, because the ending is one of the most disappointing ones you have ever watched. In fact, it feels like whoever wrote the story did not know how to end it.

This is a movie that caught my attention because of the actors attached to it. Also, I've enjoyed movies like The Menu (2022) and tv shows like The Bear (2022-) that focus on cooking and the restaurant industry. After watching this movie, the movie's title literally says everything you need to know about the quality and it was also produced by Blumhouse.

Positives for The House of Spoils (2024): Ariana DeBose gives a great performance as the main protagonist, no surprising given she is an Academy Award Winner. I definitely believe her as this chef struggling in the restaurant industry and she does a fantastic job whenever she has to go crazy. I also liked Barbie Ferreira as Lucia, Arian Moayed as Andres and Marton Csokas as Marcello. The cooking sequences themselves are very well handled, but that's just me because I don't cook. And finally, there are a couple of decent horror scenes.

Negatives for The House of Spoils (2024): This movie definitely feels like a Blumhouse horror movie in many ways. There are some moments with bad dialogue that stick out. I also didn't think the movie did a great job at exploring the history of this old restaurant and its previous owner, but then again Blumhouse tends to do this a lot. The movie feels like any other generic haunted building movie with little to no effort. And finally, the ending of this movie was very anti-climatic.

Overall, The House of Spoils isn't one of the worst Blumhouse movies, but it is still a bad movie. Honestly if you enjoy a lot of the movies from Blumhouse, you can give it a watch. If you're someone who is tired of the same old generic movies from this movie studio, then I suggest you skip this one.

I was looking for a horror movie to stream, and settled on this without high expectations. Then I was pleasantly surprised to find I was intrigued and wanted to keep watching this under rated find. This is pretty decent story. Far better than the usual slasher with a chainsaw, or me too haunted house with footsteps upstairs and curtains blowing in the breeze. Surprisingly good acting all around, though I wasn't familiar most of the cast. DeBose did a fine job here. Very little blood, gore, or even special effects. Which says something about a story that can stand on it's own without them. Recommended, for something more chill and subtle in the horror genre.

Another flop of epic proportions. Poor writing, bad acting, typical dialogue, a little misandry, bad jokes, and zero onscreen chemistry round out this waste of time and resources. Film makers need to worry less about checkboxes, and focus more on compelling characters and storyline. Nothing worked together and the scares were non-existent. There was too much fluff and not enough substance. The characters were poorly developed and weren't interesting enough to make you care about them. The film seemed to drag on too long without anything interesting happening to keep you on the edge of your seat. There are so many better options in the genre, this could have been, and should have been much better.

I just watched this movie on a whim not knowing what it was about, and I enjoyed it. I liked the aesthetic a lot and while the sudden shift at the end might be a bit far fetched..well its a movie so that is part of the experience. I liked the parts with the plants and the earthiness, and just the creativity. It is refreshing to see knew ideas, especially because these days they are far and few between. I do see the issues that people may find with it, but thats people these days, they find issues with everything. This one I am recommending you give it a go and see if you find enjoyment in it like I have.

This movie was just not it for me.. Blimehouse should've left this where it was.. The story was incomplete as it jumped from one thing to the other.. The ending is where they really dropped the ball because it gave no explanations at all on the antagonist. It was just a bunch of incomplete scenes that they spliced together.. I really feel as though this could've been good given the trailer but even then it just didn't make any sense.. I don't want to give any spoilers but i was disappointed.. Acting was very mid level.. it feels like it was a rushed project that ultimately didn't add up to the synopsis..

If you are in the culinary world, a foodie and yet a fan of thrillers and horror, this one is for you. I never heard of it and it just came up and I watched it. I thought it was unique yet stylish, there are some elements I can do without but no movie is perfect. The Chef character was well chosen and it holds up a good team of actors. It is not as polished and well acted as The Menu with the great Ralph Fiennes , but this holds its own and I loved it, in fact I purchased it because I think it warrants to be watched more than once. Some of the Witch stuff was a bit much for me but was offset by the food presentations and the the jealousy not having been trapped in the wine cellar. Bon appetite, Enjoy this flick.

House of Spoils" presents an intriguing blend of witchcraft and the world of high-end cuisine, which is a unique combination rarely explored in cinema. The movie captures the immense pressure of being a chef who must deliver a perfect, high-stakes dinner. In many ways, the film's horror doesn't stem solely from supernatural elements, but from the intense stress and anxiety tied to proving one's worth in a competitive culinary environment.

Where the movie truly excels is in conveying that suffocating tension-the fear of failure as a chef is almost more terrifying than the supernatural occurrences. However, despite these strengths, there are aspects of the film that feel disjointed. Certain plot points don't quite add up, and the story doesn't always flow smoothly. While I'm not usually one to demand strict logic from horror films-since these genres often involve ghosts, vampires, and witches, which inherently defy logic-this disconnection between events made it feel like the main character's struggles were ultimately for nothing.

That said, I still enjoyed the film overall. It's not a bad movie by any means, but it would have benefitted from a more polished script. Despite this, the lead actress gives a standout performance, and the depiction of the brutal reality of gourmet cooking is both fascinating and intense. With a bit more narrative coherence, this could have been a truly exceptional film.

Food movies have been all the rage the last few years. And almost all of them have been pretty good. 'House of Spoils' is sadly the first real letdown in the sub-genre that I've seen. It felt very much like a film that didn't have enough of any one thing, so tried to throw multiple things at the wall in the hope that one of them would stick.

The end result is a bit of a chaotic mess - and not a particularly interesting one either. The film is probably at its most interesting when it is just being a regular kitchen drama. But even then all the drama and obstacles feel very forced.

I had hopes that all the grind of the first hour was just setting up for a strong finish. Unfortunately the final 20-30 minutes are probably the most dull part of the film. It really does whimper home. This one wasn't for me. 4/10.

The ambitious assistant (Ariana DeBose) of the famous Chef Marcello (Marton Csokas) quits her job to work as a Chef in a new remote restaurant in the countryside, despite the offer from Marcello to double her salary. She delivers her apartment and moves to live in the restaurant owned by Andres (Arian Moayed). The place is dirty with insects, and she has hard work to clean the kitchen. Andres is in a hurry to open the place since he has many debts and invites a group of selected friends, including his investor, to write reviews about the new place. However, there is an infestation of insects and a rabbit destroys her vegetable garden, and the Chef loses her supplies and is forced to improvise dishes. But the famous food critic Hiral Sen (Amara Karan) does not like the food, the investor gives up the business and Andres fires her. But the Chef asks for one more chance to Andres that reluctantly accepts her request. She chases the rabbit to kill it and sees a creepy garden with several plants. She tastes them with her assistant Lucia (Barbie Ferreira) and they decide to use them in her new trial with several guests. Meanwhile the Chef is haunted by nightmares, and she learns that a witch lived in that area and was the previous owner of the restaurant, but she vanished. Will the Chef and the restaurant succeed?

"House of Spoils" (2024) is neither a thriller nor a horror movie, but the story of an ambitious and arrogant woman that wants to be a Chef. She accepts the challenge of working in a new restaurant and is pressed by the new situation. The plot is confusing, and it seems that the previous owner, who was falsely accused to be a witch, haunts her to find her body and learn her true story. Ariana DeBose performs an obnoxious character and has a histrionic performance in the role of the Chef, abusive with Lucia most of the time. The pointless conclusion does not let the viewer know what is the point of the intriguing, but messy plot. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "A Casa Mórbida" ("The Morbid House")

I don't want to "spoil" anything, but watching this movie isn't worth it.

It was advertised as horror thriller. As aforementioned, neither horror nor thriller. The movie fails to understand what this genre is. "Scary" scenes were actually funny.

What I liked about this movie is the stubbornness of the protagonist. She is the type of character I would love to see in a horror movie. And the ending was both surprising and disappointing.

Unfortunately, downsides surpass the upsides. Perhaps, trying to make a horror movie about a restaurant chef was a bad idea. Such an idea could have been used in a different genre of movie.

*House of Spoils* (2024) is an unfortunate misstep in the horror-thriller genre. From start to finish, the film fails to deliver on its promising premise. The plot, which revolves around a chef haunted by her past, is riddled with clichés and lacks any real suspense or emotional depth. The performances feel uninspired, and the pacing drags, making the runtime feel longer than it actually is. Even the horror elements fall flat, and more often than not is disgusting especially the main character. Ultimately, "House of Spoils" is a forgettable, uninspired film that isn't worth the time. Don't waste a single second on this garbage.

The story was fairly original, but those looking for horror will be disappointed. This is something a bit closer to Practical Magic with a dash of Like Water for Chocolate magic realism and a garnish of witchy ghost. It feels like a fairly niche film, but for those who enjoy that niche; it's a delightful little unexpurgated Grimm's fairy tale of movie.

The dialogue definitely veers into clunky here and there, but I feel like this could be a sleeper late night snack film. DeBose brings a controlled physicality to her role which helps make the silent moments shine. The characters are two dimensional in the way of a slightly expanded fairy tale: where the fairy tales use archetypes, the movie adds a touch of nuance to the characters, though they could have fleshed them out a bit more. None of the other actors really throw themselves into the slightly absurd premise the way deBose does, and without that slightly unhinged commitment, they can't paper over weaknesses in the plot or writing in the same way.

But if you want a sort of Casa-de-Espíritus-light, set in a fine dining haunted house, this could be movie for you.

Director duo Coke and Krudy manages to set up a an interesting starting point, that even, lo and behold!, seems to bring some new settings and approaches to the horror genre. As "House of Spoils" progresses however, it turns into a repetitive odyssey of insecure filmmaking. Constantly failing to pack a punch and stir up any scares, the convoluted ending gives "House of Spoils" a strong flavor of early 2000s made-for-TV movies. Whatever the directors serve you, it's impossible to work out what they want to tell us. Are they satirizing pretentiousness? Some vague environmental themes? This film leaves you hungry for a horror movie that goes its lengths to actually scare you. Like craving McDonald's after dinner at an overpriced restaurant.

Let me start by saying I'm not a huge horror fan. I occasionally enjoy lightweight thrillers like The Pope's Exorcist or the Haunting of Hill House. I'm definitely not into gratuitous gore or depravity for shock value. So, when I chose this movie on Amazon, I was hoping for another lightweight thriller but not sure what I was getting myself into. I'm so glad I stumbled onto this gem of a movie and gave it a shot. It delivered some mild thrills and super creepy scenes, along with an actual plot line that also added suspense and intensity, and I really love how they twisted and tied it up at the end. Instead of walking away feeling disgusted or disturbed like one night in a normal horror film, you walk away feeling positive...unless you are a sadist and you wanted to see the gore and nihilistic suffering and were disappointed that it wasn't there. Would recommend to anyone who loves gastronomy, cooking shows and lightweight thrills that will creep you out a bit but won't give you nightmares.

Most of the time my wife and I rate the movies we watch with the same score but in this case she wanted to rate this one with a six which in my opinion is highly overrated, and since I write all the reviews a four it will be. I just found the movie boring, certainly didn't got better towards the end. The horror, as it's categorized as one, was very mild or even non-existent. But what annoyed me the most was the character played by the main actress Ariana DeBose. Very annoying to watch, I don't know if it was the character or the actress, maybe a combination of both, but the dramatic overacting of Ariana DeBose certainly didn't do any good. Don't waste your time with this one as there are much better movies in this genre.

I love a good ghost story, and this one truly delivers. On top of it being something different from the regular, "Family moves into a haunted house." Trope. This movie delivers something new and unique with just about every step of the way, including the ending that provided such a fresh take on the ghost horror story trope, it genuinely felt like drinking a nice cold water after a long hot day in the sun. This wasn't just a horror movie it was a story all it's own, and every minute of it had me intrigued. Amazing acting with an amazing storyline makes this a new favourite for me. I'm not much for leaving reviews but I had to leave one just for this movie. I highly suggest watching it, you won't regret it.

As films intended for the horror genre go, this one comes up a bit short, and the ending may aggravate some folks.

All things considered, the acting was above average and I felt that the main character did a great job in her part. The gist of the plot involved opening an upscale restaurant in a rural location; however, the place was haunted ostensibly by a witch who was a previous occupant. The writers had time within the length of this film to better develop the hauntress, and IMO it suffered somewhat from a lack of more chilling scenes. This caused the movie to drag on in places leading up to the final scenes and the anticlimactic ending.

Be your own judge, it's worth the watch.

The presence of Oscar winner Ariana DeBose takes the intensity of a smooth, well-executed thriller brought to us by Amazon Studios in conjunction with Blumhouse Television to a whole new level.

Directed by the duo Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, this gastronomic thriller leaves better taste sensations than one might expect at first glance. It's not that it's a tremendous film, but it's interesting how it manages to draw your attention thanks to the presence of a protagonist played with mastery and talent that heightens the intensity of the mystery it hides and at the same time makes everything much more credible, even though at times it's difficult to connect the dots between where the story is taking us.

Ariana DeBose's talent is felt throughout and the actress brings to life a complex character in search of excellence and validation and this is played with intensity by a very good actress who with her presence alone sets the tone so that we never let go of the film's mystery. Then we meet a supporting cast that also allows for moments that complement everything done by its protagonist.

The script, which was also written by the director duo, has some very well-done points that make you really engage with the story, and to that we add that both have the intelligence to direct the film in such a way that you enjoy this world of cooking in which they are immersed. Then we find flaws in how she decides to make certain decisions or in how she resolves certain conflicts that take away a bit of depth that does not end up convincing at all. However, I value the daring to take the film to a point where the conflicts have a purpose beyond the quick scare, but rather to give us a look and perhaps an attention to the level of demand or usefulness that one can give to certain things that can really generate conflicts beyond the person.

I'm left with a proposal that goes beyond the fulfilling thriller, it has a deeper look that may not be entirely complete or correctly developed, but that certainly makes the film have a kind of charm that allows you to enjoy culinary elements like witchcraft in a more pleasant and fulfilling way than one imagined, it will not be among the best of the year in the genre, but it is a good pastime for the weekend and for those who enjoy cooking and horror together.

The scariest part of this entire movie for me, I mean, it was terrifying, was watching this lady jump ship from a rock solid gig at a Michelin-starred restaurant only to float over to some out of the way location where, apparently, she somehow didn't iron out all the details before landing.

How?

What?

Terrifying!!

Absolutely terrifying!!

Yikes!!

And then to top off this terrifying trip, she's falling apart on this new gig.

First impressions and all!

Get yourself together, girlfriend.

You've got a job and you need to run a kitchen.

Nothing scary ever really happens in the first hour.

Bugs and bubble guts but that's bout it.

It gets better after that but not by much.

No Michelin stars.

But better than fast food.