House of Spoils, 2024.
Written and Directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy.
Starring Ariana DeBose, Barbie Ferreira, Arian Moayed, Marton Csokas, Amara Karan, Mikkel Bratt Silset, Gabriel Drake, Imola Gáspár, Soroosh Lavasani, Shiraz Khan, Jason York, Zoltán Seress, and Béla Ficzere.
SYNOPSIS:
It tells the story of a chef who opens her first restaurant where she battles kitchen chaos, a dubious investor and self doubt, but the pressure heats up thanks to the spirit of the estate’s previous owner who threatens to sabotage her.
Everything about writers/directors Bridget Savage Cole’s and Danielle Krudy’s House of Spoils, from the stressfully demanding kitchen drama (I have yet to see a single episode of The Bear, but I can only assume this film captures that frenetic environment to an extent) to a commanding performance from Ariana DeBose as an unnamed chef not only trying to elevate her career but prove that she can demonstrate bossy leadership skills just like her male counterparts, to what comes across as satire on the food industry and what wealthy elites will consume and label delicious work except the horror element, which is a problem because that is what this film is trying to be and inevitably gives itself over to.
Chef (as the film credits the character) is offered a big break from Arian Moayed’s Andres, opening a new fancy restaurant. He requires a cook since the last one has parted ways with him for mysterious reasons that remain a secret until later on. Anyway, the building is surrounded by a beautiful garden and an equally enchanting forest, but it also comes with its fair share of issues that Andres probably should have discovered earlier, such as infestations and mold. Naturally, the dishes are immediately ruined, and the sight of bugs crawling inside food is creepy. It also psychologically taunts Chef, who already has a lot on her plate (pun intended), while also trying to mentor her sous chef Lucia (Barbie Ferreira.)
Between trying to arrange various dishes, gathering new ingredients, and dealing with the above problems, the pressure mounts on Chef as she also takes on a superiority complex toward her co-worker. This behavior gives the impression that Chef has had to deal with a lot of BS while trying to stake a claim within a male-dominated profession and is now strung out to such a degree that she is becoming one of those toxic hotshots. It comes across as an interesting perspective on what climbing the ladder and trying to maintain that position can do to anyone, regardless of gender. It is also upsetting since one woman constantly puts another down rather than standing in her corner and elevating with support.
Throughout this, Ariana DeBose is chewing the scenery, flaunting a rising cutthroat cockiness that possibly is necessary to rise the ranks in this industry. It’s an unexpectedly showy performance that allows her to express more range other than terrified facial expressions when it’s time for that. Nevertheless, after being scolded for her dishes not having enough distinct personality, Chef begins finding strange earthly ingredients to add to her recipes. Whatever it is, it unquestionably looks disgusting but blends into the dishes without anyone knowing, meaning that it’s quite funny watching pretentious, oblivious idiots remarking that it tastes delicious. In many ways, one wishes the satire element went harder.
Thanks to an eerie prologue steeped in ancient witchcraft, it’s evident that Chef is using their leftover ingredients or being guided by the coven in some way. It is used as an opportunity for uneventful jump scares and a somewhat lame excuse to hammer home the metaphor in play here, that cooking and witchcraft concoctions are similar. House of Spoils simply isn’t scary and frustratingly betrays the much more engaging unfolding drama. The more it lets horror take hold, the more the experience becomes, well, spoiled until one no longer cares. By the time Chef is mixing together ingredients inside a witchy melting pot to visualize the metaphor, eyes should be rolling.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
