Synopsis
A young woman's hunt for her missing sister ends at a rundown bed and breakfast in the Hollywood Hills run by an ill-tempered woman called Mommy. Disturbing messages left by former guests suggest unsettling secrets lay buried there.
Review
The setup for the film is pretty standard. Character is searching for lost loved one, goes to last place they stayed, bumps into Handsome McStranger, weird shit occurs. The difference between this and others, however, is several fold. When Willa turns up looking for her sister, it feels very real. Kimberly Woods (Chicks Flippin the Script) does an astonishing job of portraying the forlorn sister, and also the the missing fae-child - her sister. Carol Stanzione (Cowboy Bebop) does an amazing job as the sinister Mommy. It's all round not what you would expect.
Playing light on the notes of high budget, director Andrew Jordan pulls every inch of awesome from the cast, the script, and the location. Possibly the best choice was removing Mommy from the film for a large portion of the run time...
...because she's f**king terrifying.
The film itself rolls around whether or not there is a supernatural force loose about the house. And while this is never conclusively addressed, the scenes in which it is are, shall we say, effective. When the horror in this film is there, it's there, trust me.
Which brings us to the story arc. Willa's journey is handled well. The other client in the BnB, Rudy Dobrev (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) playing Marco is extremely sympathetic. Without any horror the journey would have been an award worthy drama. As the relationship of Willa and Rudy grows, there is the sudden introduction of the... villain.
And it's not what you expect. No spoilers here though.
With an excellent lead, and deft direction, BnB Hell comes across with as a bigger film and deserved a bigger release than it had, and it is startlingly good. It's surprisingly subtle, while being damned terrifying at the same time. It's a wild ride, and highly recommended.
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