Horror Movie Review: The Curse of Hobbes House (2020)

When The Curse of Hobbes House starts, the last thing you would expect it to be is a zombie horror. We’re introduced to Jane (Mhairi Calvey) who is having a rough time of it. She has recently lost her job and has been living inside her car. A car that seems to be on its last legs, she manages to get it started so she can go to a will-reading of her late Aunt.

It’s there she runs into her sister, Jennifer (Makenna Guyler) and her boyfriend, Nigel (Kevin Leslie). The siblings bicker and fight about the events that have led to them being estranged while Nigel looms in the background in good old fashioned English prickish ways.

The reading is at Hobbes House, the pairs Aunt’s stately home now in disrepair after years of neglect. A house that holds many secrets and is about to wreck vengeance on those it deems to be a threat to its continued existence. After an accident involving the lawyer, the remaining group are forced to hold out in the house as it comes under attack from ‘guardians’ aka zombies.

Will Jane and Jennifer be able to settle their differences to survive and hopefully break the curse?

Yeah, the curse aspect of this movie is just one part of this film that let’s you down. For starters, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. A handful of people know of this curse that was put in place centuries ago after the land was stolen. Now, when it appears to be in threat, zombies with blue glowing eyes rise to kill those inside. Not exactly inspired stuff and while the movie calls them ‘guardians’ they are just zombies, Not particularly fresh or threatening zombies either.

The most horror that is felt here comes from the house more than anything. Large, empty and cold. It’s a cool setting that really needed something more interesting to be happening.

The characters don’t help even if the actors play them well. Jane’s situation makes her initially sympathetic but her cold and rude attitude makes it hard to warm too much to her. Jennifer comes across like an entitled, shallow brat at first but eventually steps into a more heroic role. Then we have Nigel who is every bit the douchebag he is supposed to be.

The most likable character is Naser (Waleed Elgadi) who is the house’s groundskeeper. The foursome work well off each other. It’s just a shame the film doesn’t push them hard enough to really feel the peril.

There are worse modern zombie horrors that for sure. The problem with The Curse of Hobbes House is that it is ultimately very forgettable.