The Cellar (2022) – Shudder original spoiler free review

Moving to a new house is never a good thing in horror movies. Of course, this film is not the exception. Directed and written by Brendan Muldowney the film starts Elisha Cuthbert (House of Wax), Eoin Macken (Till Death), Abby Fitz, and Dylan Fitzmaurice Brady. The film got an official release in the SXSW Film Festival on March 12, 2022. Later was announced that the horror streaming service Shudder would distribute the film.

Keira Woods’ daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of their new house. She soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling their home that she will have to face or risk losing her family’s souls forever.

Official plot

The Cellar marks the return of Cuthbert to the horror genre since 2005 were she starred in the slasher film House of Wax. The film received negative reviews but was a commercial success giving Cuthbert more recognition on the industry. For her role on the film she was nominated on the 2005 Teen Choice Awards on the categories of Choice Movie Actress: Action/Thriller and Choice Movie: Rumble

My opinion

Everything that is shown on the trailer happens on the film. Adding to the details provided on the plot the film turns more and more predictable. The film follows a mother in despair trying to find her missing daughter while the husband and father is skeptical until he starts seeing it for himself. Of course, the house that they just move in without any knowledge of the previous owners has a dark past.

The film can be cheesy, predictable, and more of the same but is enjoyable. The atmosphere, setting, and music make it an interesting film full of horror clichés. The cast delivers a descent performance having the mother that knows that something is not right, the father that doesn’t believe, the grumpy teenager that didn’t want it to move to the house, and the youngest kid that could end in danger. The Cellar may be an average horror movie but I feel that is