USA, 1 hour 35 minutes, Directed by Izzy Lee

Imagine being jailed for an everyday occurrence beyond your control, something your body decides for you. In the USA, ‘Land of the Free, ’ this could happen to you if you have a uterus, depending on where you live. The terrifying rise of the treatment of women is the socio-political backdrop for this cautionary tale, where Mia is under house arrest but must also contend with the suspicious death of her husband. There, Mia experiences strange phenomena that could be man-made or supernatural. Or both? One thing is clear: Mia is in danger and cannot leave her home.

House of Ashes is a scary look at what life is like for many people. The real world is far scarier than anything that could be committed to screen and that’s where the true horror lies in this debut feature from director Izzy Lee.

I was immediately excited about this film, from the gorgeous poster alone. House of Ashes is as lovely as I’d hoped. It has beautiful colour grading, with the same purples and golds as the poster. The cinematography is just stunning, in particular a shot of eyes reflecting fire. It’s so beautiful. The score carries the underlying tension, even through more mundane scenes. Leads Fayna Sanchez and Vincent Stalba give great performances and I was so excited at the cameos from Joe Lynch and Mick Garris.

House of Ashes is a film I definitely want to see again and I really wish I’d been able to see it on the big screen, to appreciate all of the details in such a visually stunning film.