Playhouse (2020) Review
The film centres around Jack Travis (William Holstead) a notorious horror writer, who moves into an ancient castle with his teenage daughter Belith (Grace Courtney), to work on his next play; only to face terrifying consequences when his daughter falls prey to a supernatural evil lurking within the castle walls.
PLAYHOUSE is a perfect example how finding the right location to centralise your story can pay out huge dividends. The abode to which our central father/daughter duo has moved adds substantially to the film’s visual aspect and contributes hugely to its overriding vibe of gothic gloom. It helps too that co-writers and directors Fionn and Toby Watts have assembled an excellent cast that more than match the film’s aesthetic and help carry it through its more overwrought moments.
There are times when playwright Jack veers towards histrionics that border on near-farcical but otherwise there’s little else to unsettle the deftly built-up tension as more about the castle’s back history is revealed along with nuggets pertaining to the small cast of characters. What does slightly undo the film’s appeal is the constant bickering and snide comments which grates more as the story builds to its climax. You initially warm to the characters but end up with no one you actually care for or like.
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