The Beach House (2020) - Shudder Spree

 

Streaming Services: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: The Beach House (2020)
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Length: 88 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Low Spark Films, Uncorked Productions, Shudder, Front Row Filmed Entertainment
Director: Jeffrey A. Brown
Writer: Jeffrey A. Brown
Actors: Liana Liberato, Noah Le Gros, Jake Weber, Maryann Nagel, Michael Brumfield, Matt Maisto, Steven Corkin, Dan Zakarija, Veronica Fellman
 
Blurb from IMDb: A romantic getaway for two troubled college sweethearts turns into a struggle for survival when unexpected guests - and the surrounding environment - exhibit signs of a mysterious infection.

Cat’s Point of View:

It’s taken me a good deal of time sitting and staring at my screen to realize that I’m not experiencing an ADD moment. I honestly don’t have a lot to say about our Shudder Spree’s next stop – The Beach House.
 
The premise seemed interesting. The fact that the film’s writer/director has spent their career thus far as a location manager for prominent productions and has now made their directorial debut with this movie was another element that added some extra allure to the title. Now that I’ve watched it, I’m not sure that the best bits weren’t already shown in the trailer.

 
One positive note, however, is that the location the production utilized was wonderful for the setting. The producer that allowed their beachfront home to be used for filming deserves kudos.
 
To be fair, The Beach House wasn’t bad. I just felt like it drug on a little bit and I wasn’t excited about it.
 
I didn’t like the boyfriend character – but then, I’m not sure I was supposed to. The whole situation was just a bit odd. I did appreciate the fact that the girlfriend, Emily, had a good head on her shoulders and that she was given good sense to match the level of her implied intelligence.

I did find a few bits unique and special. These were mostly environmental elements. I enjoyed the effects employed regarding the bioluminescence and the use of the ‘fog’ as elements of the story.
 
Unfortunately, I’m not sure I’m going to remember this movie since it generally left me with a meh feeling. I wouldn’t steer anyone away from it. I imagine anyone wanting to dabble in a little minor body horror might find this a good stepping stone towards other movies. I just don’t see myself going out of my way to recommend The Beach House – especially in this season where everyone’s generally looking for heart-pounding thrills leading up to Halloween.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 81%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 28%
Metascore – 64/100
Metacritic User Score – 6.5/10
IMDB Score – 5.3/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5
 
Trust the Dice: Parental Advisory Rating – R
 
Movie Trailer: