Beach House (2018) User Reviews

The Mysterious Stranger

[lavatch · 6/10 · 9 September 2019]

"Beach House" is a crisply written, low-budget film that tells a yarn about a young writer's imagination, as she prepares a novel. Emma is a college student spending time in a remote beach house with her parents who are visited by a mysterious stranger. The man named Paul is an old flame of her mother. The characters' interactions form the basis for shaping Emma's novel.

One clue to the filmmaker's idea for the film comes from the detail of Emma reading Theodor Fontaine's novel "Effi Briest." The novel has a loose connection with the story of "Beach House" with the lurid romance and the bohemian side of Berlin, which Emma plans to visit.

One problem with the film is the lack of clarity between what is occurring between Emma and Paul in their nocturnal visits and what proportion of the narrative is from Emma's imagination. How much of Paul's visitations is real, and how much is taking place in the mind of Emma the writer?

The acting was good in the small cast, especially the chemistry between the demure Emma and the wise-cracking, jovial, and lusty photographer Paul. With the strange circumstances of the fate of Paul as depicted in the film, Emma has to be wondering what might be the real-life consequences if she ever publishes her novel.

Beach House or Boring House?

[nethy-nho · 4/10 · 19 August 2019]

With desinteressante characters, the movie try to start with fake moments of thriller and tension, but fail miserably, the plot is so shallow, I can't understand what was the the point, just the freak romance? or the mistery around the artist? anyway nothing works and in the end you just think, really? In other words it's just a wast of time.

SO-SO MOVIE, KIND OF PREDICTABLE

[srobertson-75103 · 5/10 · 16 April 2020]

I believe this movie was based on a book, so it only had so much to work with (and sometimes stories are fine in to read but just don't have enough substance for a movie.) I could tell exactly what was going to happen every step of the way...when the visitor comes to the house, the camera goes right over to the college age daughter to show her interest....you know something is going to happen between the two. Anyway, the movie is slow to unfold but it finally does toward the end. No real surprises. I think they were trying to draw a parallel between the Paul character and the daughter. They weren't so different after all. That's about all I walked away with.

Oh so very BAD.

[ferdmalenfant · 1/10 · 28 February 2019]

If you see a review of this film that rates it anything over a 3...they are a most likely part of the investors (production company) and they are desperate and probably feeling the hurt. This movie holds nothing... no action, no suspense, no music score and most of all no story line. A rich white girl at her "beach house" is bored...the end. Oh so very bad, in the original sense of the word BAD. Don't be fooled like I was. I would watch the weather channel from 2 years ago before I watch this again.

Beach House...the end.

[LordCommandar · 2/10 · 1 March 2019]

I downloaded this film last night, and just finished watching it. Nice looking beach house, nice looking white people, incredibly nonsensical story....the end.

American movie who wanted to be an European movie. But wasn't.

[contact-125-651146 · 2/10 · 28 October 2019]

Good idea, acceptable performances, boring development. I could have been better.

Slow movie with some appeal and a few holes

[joshualeldred · 7/10 · 26 November 2020]

This movie moves incredibly slow. If you need action or thrills you won't be happy. However there is some good acting, a decent setting, and a pretty young actress on the beach. No spoilers here but if you are like me you are going to spend the whole film asking "why would a middle aged women with a family invite a former fling who she has not seen in many years to drop in and live with them for a few days?" I guess I'm old fashioned, but it seems like her current man would object. Anyway, good acting made the film a decent watch.

It could have been good but it was boring

[castletopdolls · 2/10 · 2 April 2019]

The director could have made this a winner but it was boring, all I seen was the man staying with the family drank wine with the girl and they talked through the whole movie with other added boring scenes. the beach was pretty, my fav part ! I waited for something to happen, it almost got good but then dragged again, the only part that made me think it would get better was the last 20 min and then the end was even stupid !

slow, but not boring

[shefchenko · 7/10 · 12 March 2020]

I realize that it could have been faster, but they were building suspense. I enjoyed it. It felt slow at the beginning, and it picked up just in time.

Disappointing

[askarim4-913-200388 · 2/10 · 6 February 2020]

I expected more from this film claiming to be a psychological thriller however it fell flat in the first 1/3 of the film. I skipped it to get to the end. The characters seemed flat as well and the dialogue was rather dry

A solid Hitchcockian thriller

[DarknessVisible20 · 9/10 · 31 January 2023]

This is actually one of my favorite thrillers of the 2010's. A simple yet intriguing and entertaining plot in classic Hitchcockian style, but set in contemporary times.

The succinct synopsis is that a young female writer, staying with her mother and stepfather at their beach house, finds herself at an impasse both in her writing and life. She longs for some excitement and adventure, until the wrong kind arrives in the form of her mother's old friend, who comes to visit the beach house, and who she discovers is harboring a very sinister secret.

Well done and entertaining thriller, with no gratuitous sex, and minimal violence. A modern Hitchcock-style treat.

Bravo!

A bored college lass meets a wild-and-free older guy on Long Island

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 11 May 2022]

An affluent couple from Manhattan and their literary major daughter (Willa Fitzgerald) enjoy a getaway to the Hamptons when the mother invites an old flame out to their beach house, a charismatic edgy artist (Murray Bartlett). What could possibly go wrong?

"Beach House" (2018) is a slow-burn Hitchcockian drama/thriller in the mold of "Swimming Pool" (2003) mixed with elements of "Last Summer" (1969) and "Something's Gotta Give" (2003). The difference is that it's an Indie with a miniscule budget, which can be observed in the opening scene/credits. Thankfully, it scores high on the writing/acting front, which is where any flick of this genre stands or falls.

Speaking of which, the script well chronicles the social intricacies of affluent leisure augmented by the too young woman/older man element and noir-style suspense. It's a movie for those who appreciate quality drama that slowly builds rather than those who require an explosion every five minutes.

While Willa Fitzgerald looks 18, she was 26 during shooting and effective in the role. Writer/Director Jason Saltiel knows how to tastefully capture women on camera without being sleazy.

The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot at a beach house at the far end of Long Island in Amagansett.

GRADE: B.

Dire from the island of dull mcdull!

[omendata · 2/10 · 1 March 2019]

I downloaded it as well glad I never paid to see it at the cinema.

Nothing much happens, boring, dull, insipid and bad acting. Avoid at all costs, even 5p as it is not worth it!

Boring !!

[cassdaoust · 1/10 · 15 April 2020]

Very slow and boring movie ! Don't waste your time !

Turned it off too slow

[wyliecoyote-46484 · 1/10 · 23 February 2020]

Wasted 30 minutes of my life film boring actors lack lustre

I want me 90 minutes back

[usedcars80 · 1/10 · 12 April 2021]

If you enjoy watching paint dry or counting how many Cheerios come in a box, this film is for you! Ok you're 21 years old home alone isolated from neighbors and you don't leave lights on ? Your rich parents leave you alone in an isolated house in the Hamptons with no pepper spray, a taser, or an alarm system? On top of that some scenes are so dark I couldn't even see the actors after increasing the brightness on my tv to 100%.

Interesting film

[michelle-esau · 7/10 · 11 September 2019]

I found the film to be quite cinematic with good acting and an interesting story line.

Worst movie EVER!

[redsoxjl · 1/10 · 29 May 2021]

Can't give zero stars, but I wish I could! The writing, acting and story should be stabbed, wrapped in a fish net and sunk in the ocean with a 35lb kettle weight.

mystery or not.

[cdcrb · 7/10 · 29 June 2018]

An uninvited guest , an isolated beach house and a curious young woman add up to mystery and intrigue. after initial doubts on my part, I was won over by the finale. stick with it

Mediocre at best

[sebring-92628 · 3/10 · 13 May 2021]

The first thing we noticed, was the very loud sound of crickets while they were on their deck - mid-day. Crickets come out at night. Very poor research. Other than that, it's pretty slow moving.

impressive debut!

[quentindobbs · 10/10 · 23 June 2018]

Engaging psychological thriller from a promising first-time director. great performances (especially from willa fitzgerald and murray bartlett), beautiful cinematography, and an interesting script taking on timeless themes from an unexpected point of view. i found this film particularly impressive given it was an ultra low budget feature which made the most of one setting and a tiny cast. check it out if you're a fan of vintage foreign films, polanski, or hitchcock.

Predictable and slow

[cjwilkerson-62308 · 4/10 · 24 April 2021]

Not sure what's creepier; the artist, the Ken doll stepdad, or the cringey fan-girl.

Very slow paced movie which really doesn't have a point; other than inspiration comes in many forms?

The scene in the bedroom made me shudder it was so awkward.

Add terrible acting, and you have this movie.

Plot is interesting, ending is unexpected

[sautry-54442 · 8/10 · 21 April 2021]

I didn't hate it. I genuinely got the scary creep vibes from the man and felt Emma was on the ride path with her opinion of him. The acting wasn't awful and showing what your mind can convince you of is a very real thing. I liked that it wasn't so predictable.

Driven by classic story-telling

[omeshrin-249-529969 · 9/10 · 30 October 2021]

I am quite puzzled by some of the reviews who claim there is no story or that it's dull or boring. It simply requires us to think and make inferences instead of thinking for us.

One can use the same critique of Tarkovsky's "Stalker" or E. A. Poe's poetry, which will too stands at odds with dopamine-seeking, "entertain me!" camp of movie experiencers.

I would argue that my only critique is that there were one or two parts that were under-developed or even a tad rushed. Mainly these parts lie in what could have been the mother's more poignant justification of accepting this enigmatic artist from her past. It could be explained by vices in her own marriage or what her life had become (if we think of Mrs. Dalloway vs Clarissa; the state of marriage). It could be explained by the inspiration she derives subconsciously from her daughter's exploratory stage, through which she lives vicariously-- and at a 'getaway' place no less where the change of physical location creates altered states of acceptable (or non-acceptable) madness. We see this in nightclubs.

Likewise, it could be explained with equal fervor by her past-- from having been convinced that artists are safe havens by their fleeting chaotic states of being: she had learned from the past that they are perpetually unattached and continually seeking a new muse-- an acceptable norm to toy with, like a smoker who can still accept being around nicotine smoke but will not indulge herself or is in denial of the real dangers and repercussions of being around someone like this.. especially if one has a foot in reality and another in fantasy (like her daughter).

There is a lot more to discuss. This movie is like an imperfect impressionist painting or an English novella. But though it is flawed, it is far better than a lot of things out there.

Jason Saltiel directs

[sjanders-86430 · 10/10 · 7 March 2021]

Clasic thriller with privileged class: like 18th century English novels this story is of an upper class educated white girl. She wants to write but has has no experiences to write about. Then her mother's old friend comes to their beach house on the shores of Long Island in the Hamptons. He is a photographer of violence with an artistic take on it. Willa Fitzgerald is the lovely daughter who tells her mother he's dangerous; her mother disregards this and leaves the daughter alone with him. You cannot guess the rest. This film is great on every level. Orlagh Cassidy plays the mother. Hammon and Bennett play the stepfather and old friend. My only criticism is the murky night shots on the beach. I love English novels where upper class women get in and out of trouble; this is like that.