Part thriller and part mystery, Lyvia’s House is a new independent film directed by Niko Volonakis and written and produced by Patricia V. Davis. While this is Patricia’s first venture into writing for the screen, she is no stranger to mystery writing or writing in general as an established author, best known for her work on the paranormal mystery series, “The Secret Spice Café.”
Lyvia’s House takes its audience on a mysterious journey set on the coast of northern California. The film starts with Tara Manning (Tara Nichol Cadwell), a young journalist, who uproots her entire life after meeting and falling in love with an aspiring architect, Johnny Beers (Joshua Malekos), an aspiring architect. She then moves to his hometown, six hundred miles away, to a house previously owned by Lyvia Ricci (Tara Nichol Cadwell), an Italian artist who mysteriously disappeared.
Once Tara learns that her disappearance might be related to a murder that happened in the same place twenty years before, she grows suspicious of everyone around her.
On paper, Lyvia’s House has all that it takes to deliver an excellent horror film: a scenic location, an intriguing mystery, and a compelling couple of main characters. But despite the promising premise, the film ends up falling apart in its second half which feels like a huge letdown compared to its opening.
The cinematography is especially impressive. It is also very fascinating how the movie reverses some classical tropes of horror films: many of its shots are full of light and colors, showcasing the beautiful setting of rural California, which contrasts its darker themes and plotlines. As an independent film with some concerns and limitations over its budget, the visual achievement is even more impressive.
The first act is fairly well-executed too, although the same cannot be said for the rest of the movie. The tension is clear and palpable from the very beginning even if, at first, the viewers can’t understand what exactly the protagonist should be scared of. Thanks to an impressive lead performance by Cadwell, the audience shares Tara’s feelings and fears, which inevitably makes us care about her future and livelihood.
Joshua Malekos is equally successful in a role that allows him to showcase his full acting range.
Unfortunately, despite all the achievements, the film loses itself too quickly. After establishing its premise, Lyvia’s House tries too hard to surprise us by constantly introducing new elements, rather than focusing on its maybe simple but effective original story. Soon enough, the secondary plotline involving Lyvia becomes too prominent during the second half which seems to want to do too much. As it goes on, the audience cannot help but ask themselves which one of the two stories the film really wants to tell. While the plots are eventually connected, there is a constant feeling that the viewers are witnessing two different films compiled into one.
The twists are entirely too predictable as well. While this is not necessarily a negative – after all, at least its big reveal makes sense, rather than purely being used for shock factor – a thriller is supposed to surprise the audience and keep them on the edge of their seat. When the time the third act comes around, many viewers will already have anticipated everything that is about to happen making the final reveal ultimately very underwhelming and underdeveloped. It is a disheartening ending after witnessing such a strong opening act that built great tension and revealed just enough key information.
Overall, Lyvia’s House is far from being the best movie of the year. While its production value is undeniable, considering the likely very restrictive independent film budget and some scenes are especially impressive, it ultimately feels like an incomplete movie. With such a fascinating premise and excellent technical elements, it is a shame to see it not deliver, especially in its second half which quickly brings down the entire movie.
Review Courtesy of Clotilde Chinnici
Image Credit Lyvia’s House LLC – © Graffi Media Inc to via Imbd