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The House Where Evil Dwells

Name: The House Where Evil Dwells
Director: Kevin Connor
Released: 1982
Duration: 88 min

Representation Score

2.7/10

Limited

1982

Director

Kevin Connor

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The House Where Evil Dwells is a typical 1980s horror movie. Although it moves away from a typical American home setting by using a Japanese setting, the narrative remains rooted in Western viewpoints. The central conflict revolves around a 'fish-out-of-water' scenario where the foreign culture is portrayed as a source of external threat. The film upholds the social hierarchies of its time. The family is depicted through traditional roles, and the supernatural elements emphasize the vulnerability of the nuclear family rather than exploring complex cultural or identity-based themes.

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Category Breakdown

Does The House Where Evil Dwells have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film doesn't include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories that challenge the idea that everyone is straight or cisgender. The main story revolves around a typical family with a husband, wife, and daughter.

How does The House Where Evil Dwells portray gender?

Fair

Female characters Laura and Amy play important roles in the plot, but their roles are mostly shaped by the supernatural threat. The film follows traditional horror structures without challenging gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The House Where Evil Dwells?

Fair

The story is set in Kyoto and includes a samurai character, adding a non-Western element. However, the Japanese historical figure mainly serves as a scary element for the Western characters.

How does The House Where Evil Dwells represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story uses a foreign place as a background for Western danger, reinforcing a colonial perspective. The conflict arises from a clash between Western home life and local customs.

Does The House Where Evil Dwells include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or hidden disabilities shown in the story. Therefore, there is no depiction of disability or related ability to take control of the situation.

Present on Screen

The film shifts away from typical Western domestic settings by using Kyoto, Japan, as the main location.
Including a non-Western historical figure, the samurai Shigero, adds elements outside of traditional Anglo-Saxon storytelling.

Limited or Absent

The narrative leans on a colonial perspective, presenting Japanese history as a source of fear for Western characters.
The film lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth characters.
Gender roles adhere to traditional horror structures where female characters are defined by their vulnerability to external threats.

Official Synopsis

At the prompting of his diplomat friend, Alex, writer Ted Fletcher takes his wife, Laura, and daughter, Amy, on an extended working holiday. Alex finds a house for them in Kyoto, Japan, and the Fletchers move in, laughing off rumors that the place is haunted. But the ghost of 19th-century samurai Shigero turns out to be very real, and is intent on making the family re-enact an ancient murder-suicide.

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