Prime Video Now Streaming One of the Scariest Horror Films of the Last 20 Years

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If you want a truly scary horror movie, check out *The House of the Devil* on Prime Video. This 2009 film, written, directed, and edited by Ti West, features a strong cast including Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, A.J. Bowen, and Dee Wallace.

The story follows a college student who takes a babysitting job at a secluded house and quickly finds herself facing frightening and perilous circumstances.

The movie blends the tropes of slasher and haunted house horror, and it’s strongly influenced by the fears surrounding Satanism that were common in the 1980s. Director West intentionally created a look and feel reminiscent of horror films from the 1970s and 80s, even using the same filming methods and technology from those decades.

The movie starts by telling viewers it’s based on a true story, a common technique used in older horror films like *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre* and *The Amityville Horror*.

The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 85% approval rating based on 101 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. Critics generally agreed that while the movie explores common themes, it successfully avoids typical modern horror tropes, instead offering a suspenseful and atmospheric experience reminiscent of classic horror films. Metacritic assigned it a score of 73 out of 100, also indicating generally favorable reviews.

Renowned film critic Roger Ebert admired the film’s suspense and delicate nuance, awarding it a rating of three and a half out of four stars.

He explained the film served as a way to introduce viewers to the classic Hitchcockian technique of building suspense. Other critics shared this view, with Oliver Smith of 7films drawing comparisons to iconic horror films like Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen, labeling it a gradually unfolding horror story. Kevin Sommerfield of Slasher Studios gave the movie a perfect score, praising it as more than just a tribute to director Ti West – whom he considers one of the best in the genre – and asserting it’s a prime example of how effective horror films can be.

Film critic Joe Bob Briggs called it “just a superb slowburn extremely well-crafted movie.”

While many enjoyed the film, some critics found it slow or unoriginal. Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter described it as unremarkable and felt it borrowed too much from other works rather than offering something new.

More than ten years after its release, The House of the Devil remains a favorite among horror fans who enjoy a slow, creeping sense of dread. Unlike many modern horror films, it doesn’t rely on excessive gore, instead creating a truly unsettling atmosphere – making it ideal for a spooky solo viewing.

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2025-10-19 14:14