*Looking for something to deep dive into on Netflix? Check out director Remi Weekes’ debut feature “His House,” which centers on two Sudanese refugees who are given asylum in Britain but under some pretty strict rules.
They can’t work and they must not leave the deteriorating house which they are assigned. They are further tormented by a ‘night witch’ and ghosts/spirits who live in the walls. Check out the trailer above.
While “His House” is certainly a horror film, Weekes says it’s also a social commentary.
“Generally what happens when you’re a fan of any kind of art form is you can love it but also be aware that the people inside the film don’t really share your same references, or that the faces in a scene aren’t the people you spend your life with,” said Weeks. “I think probably for me I want to tell the same scale of story and employ the same type of experimentation, and spectacle to create conversations that may be more relevant to my life. So this film for example creates a conversation about assimilation and how much of yourself do you let go to fit into a new world.”
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Weekes admits that making the Netflix film was an “overwhelming experience.”
“During the development of this film we did a lot of research on the first-hand experiences of asylum seekers in the U.K. and people from South Sudan. When we were doing the research one of the things I found particularly interesting, which began the journey of the film, was that when you claim asylum you’re given accommodations, given a house, but there’s a really draconian rule that you’re not allowed to leave or go to a different house,” Weekes said. “You have to stay put. And you can’t get a job. You’re given a small allowance. So for many people claiming asylum it can be traumatizing. And that was the center of the film.”
In the film, Bol (Sope Dirisu) is optimistic by his new beginning in the UK, while Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) struggles to make their strange new house a home.
“I thought that could be a way into the story, if these two sides were a married couple, and this is their way of trying to work out who they were in this new world and how they want to move forward into it,” said Weekes. “I love horror films, but I didn’t want this to just be about horror. It’s about the emotional journey and the emotional feelings of the characters over how does it feel to be in that place?”
“His House” is now streaming on Netflix.
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