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The newest entry in Hulu’s monthly series of original horror movies is titled “Into the Dark Treehouse” and while it could be better, it is still good. This film has the best cast so far out of all these Blumhouse productions and it couldn’t be more relevant in the current climate when more and more men are facing consequences for their horrible behavior towards women. Horror has often focused on stories that seek vengeance for a crime that has been committed, but I am curious to see how much the genre evolves in the next couple of years with all the focus on #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. “Treehouse” is the first of what I suspect will be a crowded new subgenre of horror fiction that features stories of vengeance towards abuse against women.
The chef who fits the bill of Peter’s role would have to be an exaggerated dramatization of Gordon Ramsay and I’m talking about Jimmi Simpson from Westworld. Just like Gordon, he is famous for shouting at less skilled chefs on his national television cooking show. In simple terms, he seems to enjoy making everyone look bad which, sadly, is his job. However, there is a side of Peter that is supposed to be somewhat sympathetic even though he is terrible for the most part. To that end, “Treehouse” has a tough time trying to justify his character. The first sign of Peter’s villainy is baffling. He is the protagonist in “Treehouse” so clearly his being unpleasant seems strange. That said, he does have a daughter that he doesn’t spend time with and while not being the best person, he does outwardly seem pleasant.
As discussions of yet another pending scandal are about to erupt, Peter makes his way home in order to stay out of the spotlight. First, he encounters his sister Gwen (Amanda Walsh) after what appears to be a long time, and he also has a run-in with his grumpy housekeeper Agnes (Nancy Linehan Charles). He also spots someone from his childhood on his way to the family’s holiday cottage, the very strange Lonnie (Michael Weston), who continues to operate the local bait shop. At first, it seems as though Treehouse’ may be a take-off on ‘The Gift’ Joel Edgerton’s film, where a seemingly overconfident man has his life made a misery by someone he previously victimized.
This is not that movie. Trouble brews when Peter has an unexpected visit from a girl named Kara (Julianna Guill), who informs him that “our” bachelorette party next door has run into some issues where there is no power. First, Peter simply provides them with some candles and torches, but then chooses to be generous he starts preparing dinner for them. The party has a few guests who include the bride (Shaunette Renee Wilson) and her mother (Mary McCormack) as well as friends played by Sutton Foster, Sophia Del Pizzo, and the iconic Stephanie Beatriz from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, who genuinely, truly, is great. As Peter becomes more and more sober, his quite terrible personality begins to surface. He makes jokes that laugh at everyone’s expense which makes it clear that before long, it will be Peter who is on the receiving end. Regardless, the manner in which these things will occur will not be revealed here.
To say that the film focuses on the idea of a man having to confront his past abusive actions is an understatement. Peter is not a jerk. Peter is a criminal. And the sort of criminal that is wealthy and well-known and doesn’t have to bother facing consequences. Until now. The way it is pulled from the headlines makes it interesting, although the cinematic aspect is lacking. Simpson is usually great but director James Roday, a star of Psych and A Million Little Things, could not quite balance the tone, and the film seems to be hopelessly unimaginative at best and appallingly worse at worst. Instead of being any way close to frightening or tense, Treehouse is more interesting from a distance. One wonders if the story is being told from the wrong side. Picture it from the point of view of the women who are out for revenge instead of a man who’s just about to get a beat down. Or better yet, a version of the story where violence begets violence and the stakes are much higher than simply a jerk getting a lesson.
There is much to like in this episode, even more than last month’s featured episode “Down”.
Simpson is a great actor, and so are Beatriz, McCormack, and Weston, even if they all seem to be looking out of place here, especially Beatriz. “Treehouse” makes you feel that Yeah, that’s a good idea, but in almost every other scene, and it is more than you can say some of the installments of “Into the Dark” do, but still, this story deserves more than that.
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