REVIEW: EVIL SUBLET

Who doesn't love a good haunted house flick? Or haunted apartment? Or haunted...sublet? EVIL SUBLET starts off with a promising bang, and a very interesting "Inspired by True Events" in the titles, then dials it back a bit. After a quick opening sequence that features a PSYCHO prank gone terribly wrong, we meet New York couple Alex (Jennifer Leigh Houston) and Ben (Charley Tucker) who have just found their "dream apartment" located in the eVil (East Village, get it?) district of NYC. Shortly after moving in, that's when the fun begins.

The film takes place over roughly a month, where a series of bizarre happenings go on in the apartment, everything eventually leading up to a confrontation with the sublet's owner, Reena, (Sally Struthers) playing very much against type here, where it is ultimately revealed that a certain number of people need to die in order for the evil to be abated for a time.

Overall the film is an interesting mix of themes, running the gamut from horror and humor to social/political commentary and LGBTQ+ inclusion. It never really beats you over the head with its politics, though, and Alex's career as a voice-over artist adds another unexpected level to the film that actually worked pretty well.

The performances by the two leads were very strong, while the supporting cast ranged from adequate to sub-par. It also felt like the pacing was dragging here and there, but all in all, this is a fun little film that manages to cram a lot into its run time (including a good musical number!) that has a little hint of the HOUSE series of films and maybe a tiny dash of BEETLEJUICE thrown in for good measure. It's definitely worth a watch!