New Max Streaming Arrival is the Most Terrifying Haunted House Movie You’ve Never Seen
Filmmaker Johannes Roberts has made some real bangers. While I recognize his style-over-substance approach to genre filmmaking—coupled with some pretty blatant homage—might not appeal to everyone, I’ve always been endeared toward his excess. I think The Strangers: Prey at Night is stronger than the original, and 47 Meters Down, especially the sequel, is some of the most over-the-top shark horror we’ve had this century. Now his greatest hidden gem is yours to watch on HBO’s Max.
Not every film of his is a winner, but even the weaker material has something worth admiring. Storage 24 was a fun chamber piece, and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City has aged considerably better than its contemporaneous suggestion might suggest. I’m surprised to see I’ve seen his entire filmography, including one of his more serious efforts. This grief-stricken gem is currently streaming on Max, and it’s one of the most underrated hauntings of the last 10 years.
Per Max: A grieving mother opens a doorway to the afterlife and unleashes a terrifying evil into her world in this chiller.
The Other Side of the Door is your standard The Monkey’s Paw merged with Pet Sematary story. What’s dead should stay dead, and messing with that delicate balance between life and death only invites more grief and heartache. At least in the case of Sarah Wayne Callies’ Maria, that decision is adequately justified. Not only did she lose her son in an auto accident, but she had to Sophie’s Choice which kid to save.
So, it makes sense that she would visit an out-of-the-way temple where the line between the living and the dead is blurred to say her final goodbyes. Naturally, of course, she ignores the one warning she’s given—don’t open the temple doors. She does, and heaps of Aghoris, Hindi spirits covered in ash, are released to haunt her. Oh, and Javier Botet lends his physicality to Mrtyu, a specter of death whose creaky, crawling limbs are sure to terrify.
In our review at the time of release, we wrote, “With themes playing on tried and true formulas of cinema from days of yore – Pet Sematary and The Ring, especially – The Other Side of the Door doesn’t break on through to anything new. But it’s well made and entertaining, serving its purpose to those who like a little horror with their heartbreak.” The Other Side of the Door is a little sad, a little scary, and wholly underrated. Be sure to check it out on Max when you get the chance.
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