‘The House Was Not Hungry Then’ (2025)

Listed as a horror film ‘The House Was Not Hungry Then’ follows a young woman (Bobby Rainsbury), credited only as ‘girl’, as she breaks into her old home in search of her father. Unbeknownst to her, the house is vacant with an estate agent (Clive Russell) leading people to the property under the guise of showing them around.

Pensive and ethereal ‘The House Was Not Hungry Then’ presents a unique film experience. Delivered solely though stationary shots within the titular house, the story unfolds only through six perspectives pointing inward the abandoned abode.

The film opens on the estate agent showing a family of three around. The static frames depict each individual examining the house, switching between the corridors and rooms until the house disappears the prospective wandering tenants. The estate agent later talks with the house, purporting to be a guardian for it, preserving it from destruction.

Later on, the girl breaks in as she seeks to reconcile with her estranged father. Through phone calls she has with a nearby neighbor, a care home worker and eventually her father, we learn of how the girl has trouble at university, has become homeless and has a strained relationship with her parent.

Revealing itself, the presence of the house communicates with the girl and each take an interest in one another, uncovering their histories and natures. Deciding to seek out her father, the girl thanks the house for allowing her to seek refuge within and departs, with the house asking her to stay.

Later returning for the phone she left behind, the girl is confronted by the estate agent. Warning the girl to run, the house tries to save the girl from the estate agent as he attacks her, wanting to deliver the girl as a sacrifice to the house to sustain it. A scuffle ensues, yet the girl manages to evade the estate agent, stabbing him with a screwdriver, killing him.

Revealing a hidden room, the house shows the girl a model house with the perspective shifting. Now presented as a view from within the model house, the girl takes the model and the two set out, leaving the big empty house behind.

Requiring patience and an open mind, ‘The House Was Not Hungry Then’ invites us to follow an exploration of mood and fantasy, presented from an unorthodox yet fresh perspective. With a daring directorial debut Harry Aspinwall showcases commitment to an unusual and rigorous style through which to deliver a contemplative rumination on intimate subjects.

The rigid parameters that Aspinwall has confined the narrative to would present as a challenge to anyone trying to deliver a sound and engaging story. What may feel like a cold and distant entity that we see the story unfold in front of may detract from any deep emotional investment. Yet, through the committed and commendable performances of Rainsbury and Russell, we are offered the chance to peer within, to discover the type of people they are and to feel for them when confronted with loss.

An exceptional exercise in execution, ‘The House Was Not Hungry Then’ serves as an example of restrictive style and form utilized valiantly to deliver both a novel perspective of ‘the haunted house’ whilst also delivering an interpersonal drama that strikes true and strikes deep. Quiet but committed, the film deserves praise for its bold execution and radical take on the overly familiar genre.

Score: 3/4