Amazon’s newest Prime video feature House of Spoils cashes in on two of the best things about fall: spooky vibes and warm food. Pulling from their own experiences in the restaurant industry, writing and directing duo Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy take on the horrifying culinary world and place it in a spooky haunted house.
Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose plays an unnamed chef, (called here on out by that title) who is invited to start her own restaurant upstate by douchy investor Andres, played by Succession’s Arian Moayed. Upon her arrival at the estate, she is introduced to her inexperienced sou chef, Lucia (Barbie Ferreira), and sets out to create a menu. Rooted in self-doubt and clinging to her fine-dining training, she fails to impress other investors with her first tasting menu. It doesn’t help that food is spoiling at an alarming rate and the previous owner’s memory seems to haunt the place.
How food is treated in this film is in the title. Expect to see rotted and moldy produce, bugs crawling through bread dough, and food that must be more delicious than it looks. This is the most disgusting movie food I have ever seen and I mean that as a complement. Don’t go to this movie on too full of a stomach. You may not want to eat for a few days after, either.
It’s so nice to see Ariana DeBose not sing and dance. Don’t get me wrong: she’s a talented triple threat who I will pay to watch perform anytime. I just love seeing her stretch a different acting-muscle. She makes a compelling scream queen if you think a creepy witch story can fall into that category. Her face is so expressive and adds to the film’s campyness.
You may know Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy from their March 2020 debut, Blow the Man Down. Taking place in a New England fishing town, the story followed two sisters forced into less-than-ideal circumstances surrounding a murder. The story felt fresh and the filmmaking captured a distinctive voice from the costumes and lens down to the sea shanty score. While House of Spoils doesn’t feel as tight and polished as Blow the Man Down, it doesn’t drag and still has the same spirit as the duo’s first feature. Its pacing and tone move along quickly. Some of the film’s political messaging gets lost in the sauce but Chef’s story accompanied by DeBose’s performance is what makes this movie fun to watch.
House of Spoils is now streaming on Prime Video. Watch the trailer below, as well as my interview with Ariana DeBose and the film’s directors!
