Throwback Film Review: ‘The Ladies of the House’ is Supremely Enjoyable Exploitation

An independent horror film that Quentin Tarantino would almost certainly champion and love if he were to come across it, The Ladies of the House is exploitation at its most enjoyable and a potential cult classic in the making. Co-writer/director John Stuart Wildman establishes himself, along with his co-writer Justina Walford, as up and coming genre masters here, crafting a film that’s as lovable as it is uncompromising. To be fair, horror aficionados will probably find this more to their liking than anyone else, but it’s skillfully enough made to really have a shot at pleasing any audience member who comes across it. Hardly the first fright flick to use female empowerment as a theme, it does manage to be one of the more successful, cleverly using the conceit of cannibalism to push the social commentary forward. Wildman is following in the footsteps of such diverse filmmakers as Russ Meyer and Eli Roth (who also would probably dig this), including moments that call back to both the Hostel franchise as well as classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Wildman’s co-writing and direction aren’t flawless, but this is a strong debut that makes me very eager to see what he and Walford come up with next. Provided you have the stomach for it, this is one to really seek out.

The setup here is more or less what you’d expect it to be and one of the film’s weakest points, though hardly a deal breaker. A trio of guys, consisting of siblings Jacob (Gabriel Horn) and Kai (Rj Hanson), as well as their friend Derek (Samrat Chakrabarti), are enjoying a night on the town that will quickly get violent. At first, they just are leering at a pole dancer named Ginger (Michelle Sinclair) at a club, but when they decide to follow one of the dancers home, that proves to be a very big mistake. Kai is hoping to have sex with Ginger as a birthday present, but once she invites them in, he winds up accidentally killing her. The guys are desperate to leave, but when Ginger’s roommates come home, they get a big shock. These aren’t harmless ladies, not by a long shot. Getty (Melodie Sisk), Lin (Farah White), and Crystal (Brina Palencia) are actually cannibals. Thus begins a fight for survival where the men go from sexually objectifying the women to seeing their own flesh objectified, but for a very different purpose, and that’s putting it mildly.

As is often the case with low-budget horror titles like this, the acting is a bit all over the place. No one here is particularly bad, but no one really impresses either. If there’s a standout among the cast, it’s probably Melodie Sisk, who seems to sink her teeth into the part with gusto. I was also a bit impressed by Michelle Sinclair, who is better known to some as the adult film star Belladonna. The guys are fairly unlikable, with Rj Hanson especially being someone you won’t mind seeing become potential, dinner, but that’s kind of the point. In addition to the aforementioned Samrat Chakrabarti, Garbiel Horn (who has a few solid moments worth quickly citing), Brina Palencia, and Farah White (also not without her charms), the supporting cast includes the likes of Frank Mosley and Thomas Wiederhold, though the focus is really on the men and women listed above. The Ladies of the House isn’t meant to be an acting showcase, but while the cast doesn’t leave a huge impression, they are successful at executing Widman’s vision for the film.

In crafting The Ladies of the House, John Stuart Wildman displays plenty of talent behind the camera. Armed with the screenplay he co-wrote with partner Justina Walford, he sets out to create an enjoyable yet uncompromising horror experience. Wildman doesn’t skimp on the gore, getting some nice mileage out of what had to have been a minuscule effects budget. There’s enough suggestion of cannibalism that you might actually wind up thinking that this is a gorier movie than it actually is (don’t worry though, it can be brutal at times). The cinematography by Beau Ethridge is well thought out and adds some art to the proceedings, while the score from Yasuhiko Fukuoka is very different from what you’d expect, though I mean that as a compliment. Walford and Wildman have a lot of fun playing with audience expectations, and it really works. They have a distinct way of doing things and I can’t wait to see them get to work on something new ASAP.

Overall, The Ladies of the House is very effective genre fare that could very well go down as a cult classic, as I said at the start. Walford and Wildman are voices that we should be glad to see trafficking in the filmmaking business. I’m eager for them to make a follow-up, which should give you an idea how taken I was with this. This is a throwback film that almost makes you giddy with its affection for the glory days of exploitation. If you don’t dig on this sort of horror, the film likely won’t be for you, but if it is, this is a movie to really seek out and enjoy. The Ladies of the House is a ton of fun and manages to not be disposable entertainment in the process.

SCORE: ★★★