*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“You said you can handle it…”

House of Spoils released on Prime Video on October 3rd 2024. The supernatural horror film stars Ariana DeBose, Barbie Ferreira, and Arian Moayed. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-two minutes.

A chef accepts a new opportunity at a remote estate, but a haunting presence begins to sabotage her inventive meals, threatening her job and sanity.

Here is the trailer:

House of Spoils features a noteworthy performance by Ariana DeBose, but its bewildering and chaotic plot goes off course. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Ariana DeBose gives it her all!

She literally CARRIED this film. Honestly, I would have tuned out a lot sooner, but I thought she gave a convincing performance. Her character was not without flaws, but she really portrayed someone with a fiery passion for her craft and I think it worked well here. I also really liked the witchy elements. I just wish we got more of them to give this film the creepy boost it needed.

The food prep and presentations were actually interesting!

I felt like I stumbled across a bizarre version of The Bear. I actually really liked the food prep scenes. Horror films have been dipping into the culinary world more recently with films like The Menu and What You Wish For. Both of those films were exceptional and I can see why others would want to try their hand at this genre.

I’m not sure that the supernatural aspects worked, but there were some interesting moments sprinkled in here.

The Cons:

Goes completely off the rails!

And not in a good way. The movie was a slow burn, but once it revealed its intention, I was really confused. The suspense really wasn’t there and everything just felt so chaotic and silly by the time I got to the end, which was disappointing. I’m not sure what the writers were smoking here…

So am I in or out?

I’m 50/50 on this one…

House of Spoils gives Ariana DeBose another opportunity to shine, but its plot spirals out of control, making this a confusing and uneventful watch overall.

If you’re looking for a twisted take on the cooking world, I’d recommend What You Wish For instead.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on House of Spoils in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rule…they can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island is available here!

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