Some movies require your complete attention and if losing your train of thought you may spin out of control on the film freeway. Do we call these “thinking person’s movies”?
In this American horror- mystery-thriller please pay attention very closely to the film as it has a trail of breadcrumbs that most likely will lead to a big aha moment for the viewer. There is nothing wasted in the script for “Lyvia’s House”. Writer Patricia V. Davis has done a splendid writing job. Very tight!
Tara (Tara Nichol Caldwell) a young whippersnapper journalist and Johnny Beers (Joshua Malekos) are in a quick steaming relationship. A bit too quick you may think. Tara moves from mommy’s very upper-class house to a beautiful house in Californian rural and farming territory. The house is “formerly owned” by the famous Italian artist Lyvia who has rushed off to Italy leaving Johnny in charge.
A beautiful house with a portrait of Lyvia in the living room surveying all. There are all manner of creepy people slinking about in the woods in the neighborhood. As the film opened with a huge brooding and white bearded man man Ed digging a grave in 1998 think Susan Monica. The townsfolk seem very tight lipped on the history of the town but Tara discovers its orchards are the “killing fields” for some 25 migrant workers done in by Ed who was convicted of his serial killer murders and imprisoned dying in prison two years prior to the arrival of Tara and Johnny.
A series of strange events transpire once Tara and Johnny move into their new love nest. That damn rat scurrying about terrifying Tara, the local village mentally handicapped voyeur, the disappearing bar fly, strange dreams haunting Tara and of course two more Ed style murders after Ed is long gone in the World Beyond all are clues. And that strange eye movement by Johnny.
The killer family is finally exposed at the end of the film and halfway through the film I had an inkling who it might be and indeed I was correct. The bloodline of Tara and Johnny is shocking and that was a huge surprise.
Clocking in at close to two hours the film is hampered by slowness but patient viewers will be rewarded by a satisfying conclusion. The acting is adequate but fails to impress.
Directed by Niko Volonakis.
It will be released on satellite and VOD on 1 and 15October2024.
You can see a screener here https://vimeo.com/950937438/fcd41b7a07
RKS 2024 Film Rating 84/100.
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