Year: 1932
Accolades: None that I can remember
Review on Letterboxd: 'The Old Dark House' review by Avalanche
This old horror film feels very theatrical in style, with very few location changes, a small ensemble cast, and quick fire witty dialogue. That being said, I don't think it's based on any stage play as far as I know (but I could be wrong).
The tone of the film is difficult to describe. It's got an odd sort of charm to it. It's very much like the classical horror films we are used to seeing, but it has a very “pure” approach to it. A raging storm, shady characters, doors with padlocks, it ticks all the boxes, but it does so without feeling like a cliché. This is a film driven by the characters (whom themselves are fairly generic and so don't fall too much into the sort of cliché characters you'd usually find in this sort of film), and more-so by the fact that we never really know who we should be trusting until the final showdown.
The wisecracking and lighthearted dialogue at times, while just as enjoyable, is almost the films downfall. It's so good and genuine that it feels like the film is jumping between two different genres.
The film is quite short and so it doesn't outstay its welcome or drag anything out unnecessarily. There end up being a couple of unpredictable moments towards the end as well, but what the film does best, I think, is take the generic and make it feel unexpected, even though in retrospect you should have seen it coming.
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