“To you they are wax, but to me their creator, they live and breathe.”
Prof. Henry Jarrod- House of Wax (1953)
The first time I saw House of Wax was when it was initially released, and at that time, critics billed it as the next Scream, or I Know What You Did Last Summer. I was excited because those films shaped a portion of youth. What it ended up being was a colossal failure for the studio, and I barely remembered anything about it.
The film isn’t particularly scary, but it’s not devoid of tension either. I found myself engrossed in a couple of scenes and was indeed on the edge of my seat throughout the first two-thirds of the film. Now, I’m not saying this is a great film or even a good one, but it’s entirely watchable. The main reason this movie held my attention was the cast. It’s excellent.
Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray do a fantastic job, and even Paris Hilton isn’t bad. I would say her death scene was one of the most intense. Her facial expressions and her ability to play scared were terrific.
The reason this film struggles to get over the hump is because of its opening scene, and it’s the insistence to carry a ridiculous plot device to the very end. I am always baffled when writers and directors put prologues in their films. If you can’t explain your plot in its run time, then maybe it’s not ready.
Despite the predictability and overly cliched plot, I enjoyed rewatching the House of Wax. Jaume Collet-Serra has gone on to have a decent directing career, and his skill is evident here. The most disappointing thing about House of Wax is that the bones for a great horror film are there, but no one could put the right flesh around them.
