‘eVil Sublet’ VOD Review
Stars: Jennifer Leigh Houston, Charley Tucker, Michele Ammon, Leanne Borghesi, Stephen Mosher, Pat Dwyer, Sally Struthers, Carla Rhodes | Written and Directed by Allan Piper
The title of eVil Sublet carries a double meaning. Ostensibly, it stands for East Village, the area of NYC where the film is set. But, since this is a horror comedy, it also means the apartment isn’t just furnished, it’s haunted. It certainly has a bloody history, something the prologue makes quite clear. That doesn’t, however, scare off Alex (Jennifer Leigh Houston; Apostasy) when she and her husband Ben (Charley Tucker; Boys & Toys, Curdled) when they tour it. When told the last tenant killed his family and buried them in the garden, she’s excited it has a garden, regardless of what was planted in it.
Of course, as soon as they move in, strange things start happening, from doors that open themselves, to creepy dolls that keep coming back no matter how many times they’re thrown away. Her sister (Michele Ammon; Up All Night, Johnny Montana) is even driven out screaming. That’s because of a giant cockroach, but she’s scared away so it still counts, right?
Allan Piper (Married and Counting, Starving Artists) is the driving force behind eVil Sublet, not only writing and directing it, but serving as editor, cinematographer and several other roles as well. It’s obviously a passion project for him, and it shows. The way he sends up genre clichés and some of the less wonderful aspects of city life, especially high rents, shows a fondness for both horror films and New York City, although a lot of the jokes aimed at NYC will resonate with anyone who has lived in a large city.
The first hour is much heavier on the comedy than the horror, with most of what happens played for laughs, with an occasional jump scare. There are also several scenes on Coney Island that reminded me of one of the better-known shot in NYC grindhouse films, Carnival of Blood. It’s not until one of their friends chokes to death on an olive just as Ben is leaving for a business trip that the tone starts to change. It’s still a comedy, but the humour starts to run darker as the building’s history is revealed and the entity haunting it reaches out looking to claim two more victims.
From here it’s a race against time as Alex, her ex-wife Hedy (Leanne Borghesi; Pig Hunt, The Miracle Twerker) and a married team of psychics Lorne (Stephen Mosher; The Sonnet Project) and Ned (Pat Dwyer; Hamlet in the Golden Vale, Positive I.D.) try to exorcize the apartment before it can claim any more victims. That involves tracking down Reena (Sally Struthers; All in the Family, Five Easy Pieces) the woman who holds the actual lease on the apartment. Seeing her play against type as a female Archie Bunker alone made watching eVil Sublet worth it.
While the makeup isn’t overly complex, eVil Sublet does have several distinctive-looking ghosts thanks to Jennifer Leigh Houston and Stella Sensel (Bushwick, A Wounded Fawn). Gore is fairly nonexistent, though there is some distinctly non-erotic nudity scattered throughout the film.
The cast, while unfamiliar, and in many cases with limited experience, do a great job selling the material and getting the film through a couple of somewhat overly silly moments. That includes the director, who plays a sleazy ghostbuster whose equipment includes roofies, and Carla Rhodes (You, Your Brain, & You, Here After) as an aspiring ventriloquist with an unusual secret.
Overall, eVil Sublet is a fun and loving send-up of the genre that should appeal to fans looking for something a bit lighter to watch during spooky season. Just don’t be surprised if you think you hear strange noises after you go to bed.
***½ 3.5/5
Lion Heart Distribution released eVil Sublet to Digital and VOD Platforms on October 1st.
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