Don't Go in the House

1980
Dir. Joseph Ellison

After witnessing one of his co-workers catch fire at the incinerator where he works, Donnie's (Dan Grimaldi) already fragile mindset becomes completely unhinged when he returns home to find his tyrannical mother dead. Now alone in the world, he begins abducting young women, bringing them home to ‘meet’ his mother and burn them alive in a specially built room in his basement.

Heavily influenced by Psycho (1960) and sharing more than a few similarities with titles such as Deranged (1974) and Maniac (1980), Don’t Go In The House features a deranged killer whose murderous rampage is instigated by an abusive matriarch. It sets itself apart from other slashers of its time by attempting to provide insight into what makes the killer at the centre of its downbeat narrative tick. Albeit sleazy and exploitative insight!

Head over to Eye for Film to read my full review of this gloomy slasher that makes for frequently unsettling viewing.