Hey gang, Valkor here. I wanted to like this next film so much simply because the last wacky horror film I reviewed, Killer Sofa, wasn’t so wacky, but it was definitely enjoyable. Then “The Dwelling” entered my life. And I was expecting this to be either really campy, really boring, or really entertaining. Guess which one I got? Read on!
In The Dwelling, Four friends out for a little frisky fun, bribe their way into a hotel room that’s inside of a den of debauchery, where they attempt an orgy. The room is said to be under renovations, but a bunch of dusty furniture will not put a damper on their sexual adventure. But things go horribly wrong when peeps start dying. As it turns out, the bed in the room that they weaseled their way into is actually haunted. And anyone who so much as touches it is pretty much dead should they get off of it. Let me clarify, the bed doesn’t so much as kills you should you touch it. It more or less goes after those who have done wrong in their life. The film then takes something of a “The Lake House” approach where a grizzled detective investigating the murders of the foursome, is actually in touch with the one survivor, only she’s a few hours in the past. So, now Virgil must race against the clock to piece together the events of what happened with the foursome, in an attempt to save that one life all the while dealing with his past demons.
The original title for The Dwelling was called“Bed of the Dead”. And I’m glad for the name change because the first title was just silly. But can a name change make that much of a difference if the film is just “meh”? Not really. And I’ll tell you all about it in the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
The Dwelling isn’t a “terrible” film as it has its moments, especially in the scares–including the jump scares. There were a few moments that I got a little fright, especially from the woman whom when she got off the bed, started to fall apart! Next, I liked the idea of the killer bed, rather, it’s not so much a killer bed like the recliner in Killer Sofa. It’s more like a haunted bed that brings death to bad people. This is a great concept that should be explored in a future film. You read that right, while I might not have been entertained all that much watching the film, I’d still like to see another round with this antique killer bed. Maybe as an anthology series or with a much better narrative.
The Bad:
My first objection is how the film tosses too much at you; was there really a need for the drunken detective? And did we really need the time travel bit? To me, all of that meshed together made no sense. Oh, and there was one moment where Virgil was down to ten minutes, but from where he was to where he ended up, only five minutes had passed when it clearly should have been time’s up! Come on, son! The performances were also forgettable to the point where I wanted everyone to die. Granted, most of them deserved it, but still, I wanted it done at a much faster pace. And that’s my final objection with the film–the pacing. That 85 minute run time dragged. There was a moment where I wanted to turn this one off and call it a day. But I pushed through it and now I wish I had gone with my first thought.
The Missed Opportunity:
At the jump of the end credits, the film plays a super creepy version of Brahms Lullaby, which should have played throughout much of the film. If there will be a second film, yeah, make that happen! Because even now, just thinking about that song, I’m super creeped out!
The Dwelling gets a digital and DVD release on November 26. And while it has a few moments of frights, the overall presentation doesn’t do much for me. And yet, I’d like to see more of this killer bed in future films. I really do. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I’ll meet The Dwelling halfway and give it a 2.5.
