The Night House (2021)

After her husband's (Evan Jonigkeit) suicide, a grieving widow (Rebecca Hall) finds it difficult to adjust to his death. Alone in the lakeside home he built, mysterious shadows and footprints begin appearing. Is she going bonkers or is there something more sinister afoot? Directed by David Bruckner, this is one of the best horror films I've seen in years! A thinking man's psychological horror film, Bruckner's movie is steeped with atmosphere and a sense of dread and most of the horror comes from the anticipation of something dreadful happening. The film literally gave me goosepimples and I even screamed out loud once (something I haven't done at a movie since I was in my teens). I worried that it wouldn't be able to sustain the building momentum and would limp to a banal finale but I needn't have worried. Bruckner uses sound to great effect and be forewarned, if you're watching with a good stereo sound system, there are several jump out of your seat moments. Hall gives a terrific performance, the best performance I've seen by an actress in a horror movie since Toni Collette in HEREDITARY (a film that disappointed me). I haven't given away any spoilers and this is the kind of movie that the less you know going in, the more effective it will be. A must for horror fans but if you're looking for gore, you're going to be disappointed. With Sarah Goldberg, Vondie Curtis Hall and Stacy Martin.